SHO booked in Lahore for ‘unlawful’ entry to magistrate’s residence

LAHORE: The Defence C area station house officer (SHO) was booked on Friday for forcibly entering the official residence of the magistrate concerned in Dharampura for recording the statements of two foreigner women who were allegedly gang-raped by four suspects on Saturday.

The two foreigners were allegedly subjected to gang rape by the suspects, who had lured them to a house in C Block of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on the pretext of a cryptocurrency business and abducted them.

As per police sources, following the gang-rape incident, which turned high-profile because of the intervention of a foreign embassy on behalf of one of the women, Defence C SHO Fariyad Ashraf reached the official residence of the magistrate concerned after office timings, for recording the foreigners’ mandatory statements under Section 164 of the CrPC.

The sources, quoting the FIR, said that the SHO allegedly forced entry into the magistrate’s residence, arguing that as the matter was urgent and high-profile, the statements needed to be recorded immediately.

As per the FIR, the SHO was accompanied by two armed policemen at the time of the incident, which further annoyed the magistrate.

The sources say that the magistrate complained about the SHO’s misconduct to the police high-ups, who after an inquiry, ordered the registration of a case against him for allegedly harassing a judicial officer.

The case was registered on the complaint of the caretaker of the judicial residences.

The complainant alleged that the intruders also threatened the staff with dire consequences.

The sources said that the SHO had also tried to force the judicial officer to talk to senior police officers on phone, but he refused, declaring the act unlawful.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2026 ...