LAHORE: Police have arrested a man accused of brutally assaulting a girl riding a scooty in Lahore following a dispute over overtaking, police said on Friday.
The suspect, identified as Ghulam Mustafa, was traced and arrested with the help of his motorcycle’s registration number, police said.
According to the police, the incident occurred on Mozang Link Road, where the suspect overtook the girl, stopped her and subjected her to physical violence.
The first information report (FIR) states that the suspect pulled the girl’s hair, verbally abused her and harassed her in public. He also allegedly snatched her bag and threw it to the ground, damaging a laptop worth Rs50,000.
The girl sustained injuries to her face, and her nasal bone was reportedly affected in the assault.
CCTV footage of the incident has also surfaced, showing the motorcyclist stopping the girl before allegedly grabbing her and throwing her to the ground. People present at the scene intervened and helped rescue her.
Police said they reached the scene after receiving information through the emergency helpline 15. An initial case was registered against an unidentified suspect on the complaint of the victim’s father.
The Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) took notice of the incident and directed officers to ensure the suspect’s immediate arrest.
Police have registered a case at Mozang Police Station and initiated further legal proceedings against the suspect.
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In a statement posted on X, Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari said Lahore police arrested the suspect at night.
She said women and children are Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “red line” and stressed that such behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances.