7-member panel report says alleged rape was fake news

LAHORE: The evidence collected by the seven-member committee, headed by Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Zaman, revealed that the alleged rape incident of a female student of a private college student was based on a fake news, viral on social media.

The report was prepared by the Punjab chief secretary, advocate general Punjab, home secretary, Higher Education secretary and Special Education secretary. The nine-page report bears the signatures of all officials, including the Punjab chief secretary.

The committee report, available with The News, suggested that the social media post resulted in violent protests by students in front of various campuses of the Punjab Group of Colleges on Oct 14, 2024, particularly at Campus 10, where students of the same campus and other campuses of the Punjab Group of Colleges as well as students from other educational institutions protested. This situation turned more violent on Oct 15-16, 2024 with protests reported in multiple cities/sites in Punjab.

The committee recorded the statements of alleged rape victim and her parents, who categorically denied that any such incident had happened. Parents and the girl informed the committee that she got injured at home and remained admitted to a private hospital. Moreover, the girl had never been a student of the said campus. She did not attend the college from October 2 onward because of her injury. The college record also supported their statement.

The committee deemed statements of 16 individuals, recorded on October 15 and 16, as important. The statements were recorded by DIG Operations Lahore Faisal Kamran, ASP Gulberg Shah Rukh Khan, and District Emergency Officer Shahid Waheed. Statements were also recorded by Dr Faryad Hussain (MS of General Hospital), Dr Waqas Yasin (DMS), Colonel (retd) Sabir Hussain Bhatti of Evercare Hospital, and Wasif of Ittefaq Hospital.

The committee also investigated cases of sexual assault-related patients from the staff at General Hospital. The committee recommended curbing fake news on social media. “Students need to handle their affairs in a positive manner,” said the report and emphasised that students should distinguish between positive and negative activities. Parents were advised to protect their children from exploitation, as mentioned in the report.

There is dire need to enhance the capacity of law-enforcement agencies, according to the report. The committee recommended further investigation into the hate-related issues regarding the alleged incident on social media. The report suggested preventing influencers and vloggers from spreading discord in society. Fake social media accounts were used to disseminate fake news, the report noted. It mentioned that innocent students were targeted through fake news. The report also demonstrated how fake news incited unrest in the wake of the incident. The government needs to take strict action to restore the dignity of the affected family, the report recommended.

In Lalamusa, in a major escalation of law enforcement efforts following the recent violence at a private college, 58 students were remanded in judicial custody for their alleged involvement in riots, vandalism and the murder of a security guard.

The court granted a 14-day judicial remand of 35 students, accused of killing a college security guard, Azhar Hussain, while 23 students involved in vandalising the Shadman Colony campus were also sent to jail.

The aftermath of the violent clashes left parents distraught, as they gathered outside Gujrat jail anxiously awaiting news about their detained children.

In a chilling act of violence, Azhar Hussain, a security guard stationed at the private college’s main campus in Gorali, was tortured and killed by a group of students on Oct 16, 2024.

The case, registered under Section 302 of the Penal Code (FIR No. 808/24), was lodged by Hussain’s son, Zawar Abbas, leading to a wave of arrests.

The 35 students accused of murder were presented in court late at night by Investigating Officer Ahmed Nawaz Ranjha before Area Magistrate Saqib Rasool. The accused include students from various localities. The court ordered their 14-day detention, and their next hearing was set for October 30, 2024.

In a separate incident, 23 students were arrested for vandalising a girl campus in Shadman Colony. They face charges including destruction of property and arson, as detailed in FIR No. 24/1042, registered at Civil Lines Police Station on the complaint of the campus’s administrative officer, Haroon Shahzad.

These students were brought before Area Magistrate Saqib Rasool Tarar and also placed under a 14-day judicial remand.

The 15 students arrested on October 16 are scheduled to appear in court again on October 30, while the remaining eight arrested the following day will appear on October 31.

Meanwhile, parents of the detained students, standing outside the jail in shock, expressed disbelief and fear for their children’s future, many struggling to comprehend their involvement in such serious crimes.

In Rawalpindi, Civil judges Azmat Hayat and Jahanzeb Aman ordered for release of 361 students, who were arrested during protests against the alleged rape of a student at a college in Lahore.

The police said students were arrested on Thursday, with cases registered against them by various police stations.

The protests, which had been ongoing since the reports of the alleged assault surfaced, resulted in the arrest of 387 students. A further 2,425 individuals were listed as unknown participants in the demonstrations.

Students were presented at the Rawalpindi Judicial Complex, where a district court granted bail to 14 of them. Three students, however, were remanded into custody for further investigation.

During the hearing, the court questioned the rationale behind mass arrests, ordering that all other detainees be freed.

Parents gathered outside the courthouse as the students were led inside, with many carrying schoolbags, showing their young age.

The court, while granting their release, issued a stern warning to the students, urging them to avoid any disruptions in future.

The judge advised parents to take responsibility for their children’s behaviour, emphasising the importance of focusing on their education.

Moreover, all other students arrested across multiple police stations were released. The police, however, had initially requested the judicial remand of some students, but the court dismissed the plea.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court (LHC) announced formation of a full court bench to hear cases involving multiple incidents of harassment against female students, emphasising the significance of the matter.

LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Aalia Neelum Friday directed the authorities concerned to record the statement of the alleged rape victim.

Nearly 400 individuals protesting harassment and sexual abuse against female students at educational institutions have been arrested in Rawalpindi alone, as Section 144 has been imposed in the province, banning gatherings and demonstrations.

Several hundred others have been booked in Lahore and other cities for violating Section 144.

Meanwhile, all private and public schools, universities, and colleges across the province remained closed on Friday.

As unrest spreads in Punjab, the LHC addressed three separate incidents, including protests over the alleged rape, an alleged suicide at Punjab University, and a harassment case at Lahore College for Women University (LCWU).

During the hearing, Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwer and other officials appeared before the court with a detailed report, as previously sought.

Chief Justice Neelum expressed her displeasure with the police chief for failing to prevent provocative videos from going viral on social media and for being unable to control enraged students from taking to the streets.

She questioned the delay in reaching out to relevant agencies to restrict the spread of the viral videos.

In response, IGP Anwer informed the court that police don’t have the authority, adding they had contacted the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

The IGP said that the police identified more than 700 accounts on which the videos were being played, adding PTA has the authority to block them.

When asked about the role of the provincial government, Punjab’s Advocate General said that the relevant assistant superintendent of police had met with the family of the private college student involved in the alleged rape case and reviewed CCTV footage.

“Every student protesting was claiming that a rape had occurred, but no one has provided evidence,” he said.

However, he admitted there were lapses on the authorities’ part.

At this, Chief Justice Neelum remarked that opportunists had taken advantage of the unrest.

“It is truly unfortunate if all of this happened because of a fake news,” she commented.

Additionally, the chief justice inquired about the number of harassment complaints at LCWU.

The government lawyer and the college registrar informed the court that there was only one complaint, and the accused individual had been suspended.

Chief Justice Neelum then asked if the students were in the right “state of mind” to return to their colleges and directed authorities to rebuild the trust of parents.

She also ordered the authorities to prohibit the presence of men in areas of educational institutions where female students are present.

The chief justice reiterated her order to take the statement of the girl linked to the rape allegations, warning authorities not to pressure the student or face legal consequences.

The court further ordered the formation of a committee, led by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general, to investigate all three cases.

Azam Butt, a Lahore resident, had filed an application in the LHC, highlighting the suicide case at Punjab University and the alleged on-campus harassment and rape of students at different institutions.

Ongoing protests saw students storming a hostel, pelting stones, and damaging vehicles on the premises.

Meanwhile, a joint investigation team (JIT) has been formed to investigate the viral news related to the alleged rape.

Headed by SSP Investigation Muhammad Naveed, the six-member JIT includes three police and representatives of three sensitive agencies, while the first meeting of the JIT has been convened today.

Apart from this, FIA Cybercrime has registered a case against 38 people for instigating the agitation. The case filed on college principal’s application said he suspected two students as they were warned by the vice principal to stop making the videos. He said that after this propaganda on social media, an unruly and violent mob attacked the campus.

Apart from this, a Judicial Magistrate issued an order to discharge an accused from the case in the case of spreading the news.