Suspect accused of assaulting female scooty rider in Lahore granted bail

LAHORE: On Saturday, a judicial magistrate released a man accused of assaulting a female scooty rider in Mozang Ring Road, granting him post-arrest bail. The incident, captured on CCTV footage, occurred on Thursday and triggered public outrage on social media. The suspect was identified through data from multiple Punjab Safe Cities Authority cameras and subsequently jailed. The magistrate opted to release the suspect on bail for Rs100,000, provided he did not have any other outstanding criminal cases.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed disappointment over the suspect's bail, taking to X and posting screenshots of TV news reports about the case. She also shared her conversation with the victim, who preferred justice over retaliatory violence. The CCTV footage revealed the suspect overtook the female rider, blocked her path, and physically assaulted her while passersby did not intervene.

The woman sustained facial injuries including a nasal bone fracture, and her bag containing a laptop worth approximately Rs90,000 was thrown on the ground, causing significant damage.

In a similar case in April, CM Maryam had ordered the arrest of a suspect who allegedly snatched a phone from a girl riding a scooty in Nawab Town, resulting in multiple bruises and injuries. The girl, 17 at the time, was riding the scooty near her home when the man snatched her phone and dragged her on the road.