Islamabad hiking trail rape suspect arrested

Islamabad: The Islamabad police on Monday arrested the key suspect who allegedly raped a woman at one of the trails of the capital’s Margalla Hills.

The Islamabad Police said that, after a three-day search, the culprit was successfully arrested.

The victim was allegedly not helping the police with their investigation, so they arrested the man late last night on "technical bases" after looking for him.

The police stated that the preliminary medical test had "not proven the rape," and that there were "no signs of resistance or marks due to the bushes" along the path.

A day earlier, the federal police said that the event was under investigation "on merit" and that "evidence of assault was not found" according to the victim's medical report.

Furthermore, according to the police, the victim and the suspect were "friends." The statement had said, "The plaintiff (victim) is unwilling to cooperate with the police and has not disclosed the details of the suspect."

The police continued by saying that "effective patrolling" and "drone surveillance" were in place to safeguard the safety of the Margalla Hill paths.

According to FIR was registered on the complaint of the victim under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code at Islamabad’s Kohsar police station in the early hours of the morning.

According to the survivor, the accused contacted her via WhatsApp around a couple of months ago. During their conversation, Noman told her he was an accountant in the education department.

“He told me he was an accountant in the education department, where some vacancies were available,” the FIR quoted the complainant as saying, adding he asked for Rs50,000 in return for the job.

She told police that the suspect also asked her to come to Rawalpindi and she reached there on Wednesday (July 12).

The woman, a resident of Muridke in Sheikhupura district, agreed to come to Islamabad for the interview with cash, the FIR stated.

She arrived in Rawalpindi on Wednesday and stayed with a relative. On the same day, she met Noman and paid him Rs30,000. She was supposed to pay the remaining Rs20,000 after getting the job, the FIR added.

The FIR stated both agreed to meet the next day, Thursday, on which the heinous crime took place. She said her attacker was armed and threatened her with dire consequence if she tried to shout for help or seek legal help later.

The complaint said the suspect later dropped her at the last bus stop of Tench Bhatta after threatening her again.