Azerbaijani woman, 20, allegedly drugged and gang-raped in Lahore; 3 booked

A 20-year-old woman from Azerbaijan was allegedly gang-raped by three men in Lahore after being taken to a flat in the Defence Housing Authority area, news agency PTI cited police on Sunday.

The incident allegedly took place after the woman, who came to Pakistan from Baku for business, was taken to a cafe by two women late on September 25. Police said three men joined them at the cafe around 11 pm and later offered to drop them in their vehicle. Instead, the men allegedly took the Azerbaijani woman to a flat, where they gave her an intoxicating substance and sexually assaulted her, according to police. She was later left near Lahore's Ghazi Interchange. The suspects allegedly took her iPhone before abandoning her.

Police officer Anjum Bashir said the woman had been staying in Lahore's Raiwind area since arriving in Pakistan more than two weeks ago. Police have registered a case against three men and identified the main accused. Raids are being conducted to arrest the suspects, while their names have also been placed on the stop list to prevent them from leaving the country. The vehicle allegedly used in the incident has been recovered from the house of a relative of the main accused, Bashir said. Investigators are also examining the role of the two women who allegedly took the victim to the cafe. The woman has undergone a medical examination and police have registered the case under relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code.