LAHORE (Web Desk) – More than 70 Lahore police personnel have been suspended after a woman allegedly accused an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of sexually assaulting her inside a police station in Lahore, prompting an investigation into the incident.
Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran ordered the suspension of the entire staff at Ghaziabad Police Station following the allegation.
According to police officials, the woman identified the room inside the station where she allegedly suffered the assault. Senior police officers were present when she pointed out the location, officials said.
The DIG said the alleged incident took place in a room on the upper floor of the police station.
Entire police station staff suspended
The police leadership suspended the station’s entire staff, with the suspension reportedly affecting more than 70 officials and personnel.
Explaining the action, the DIG said police rules require station personnel to remain vigilant and prevent misconduct or unlawful activity within their premises.
He questioned why the woman had allegedly been brought to the police station by the ASI without any female police official being present.
The development has raised concerns about supervisory mechanisms and safeguards for vulnerable individuals inside police facilities.
FIR registered
Police have registered a first information report (FIR) concerning the allegation.
The case has reportedly been registered under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with punishment for rape, along with Section 155-C of the Police Order, 2002, concerning misconduct by police officers.
The registration of the FIR means the allegation is now subject to formal criminal investigation. The accused remains entitled to due process, and the allegation has not yet been established by a court.
Family reports woman missing
According to the FIR, the woman’s father told police that his approximately 20-year-old daughter had left home on Sunday afternoon and did not return for some time.
The family subsequently began searching for her.
The complainant reportedly told investigators that they later received information that a man in civilian clothes, believed to be a police official, had taken the woman away.
The family went to Ghaziabad Police Station at around 9pm while searching for her.
Before they could locate her there, however, a relative reportedly informed the family that she had returned home.
The father said his daughter was crying when she arrived and that, when questioned, she allegedly told the family that a police official had taken her away on a motorcycle and sexually assaulted her.
Investigation under way
Police authorities have taken administrative action by suspending the station staff while the criminal investigation proceeds.
The case has also placed renewed focus on the responsibility of police officials to protect people who enter police stations, particularly vulnerable complainants and individuals requiring special assistance.
Authorities are expected to investigate the allegation against the ASI, establish the circumstances in which the woman was taken to the station and determine whether any other officials failed in their supervisory duties.
The suspension of the entire station staff is an administrative measure and does not by itself establish criminal liability against every suspended official.
The case is likely to remain under close scrutiny as investigators examine the FIR, statements of the complainant and her family, the identity and actions of the accused official, and other available evidence.
