LAHORE – In a historic decision, an anti-terrorism court has sentenced two men, Abid Ali and Shafqat Ali, to death for raping a woman in front of her children on a major highway between two Punjab cities.
Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta of Lahore ATC reached the Camp Jail in the provincial capital to announce the verdict on the Motorway rape incident. The verdict came six and a half months after the crime took place.
Both accused were handed death sentence under Article 376 and life imprisonment under 365 A of the Pakistan Penal Code. They were also sentenced to 14 years in prison separately. The court also fined Rs50, 000 each and directed to confiscate the properties of both.
It is for the first time that convicts in a gang-rape case have been condemned to death in Saturday’s landmark decision.
The police submitted challan in the case on February 20 and the accused were indicted on March 3. The court held seven hearings and reserved a verdict on March 18 (Thursday).
A total of 37 witnesses were present before the court and testified against the two accused. Police inducted the accused with charges 365-A, 391, 427, 337, and 7-ATA.