A Lahore-based woman has claimed that over 100 men groped her as she was grabbed by a crowd and thrown up in the air repeatedly during Independence Day celebrations last week.
The city police have registered a case against hundreds of unidentified persons for participating in the assault and public molestation of this TikToker, whose name remains officially undisclosed, Pakistan's news portal The Dawn reported on Wednesday.
Here's What Happened
The alleged victim was shooting a Tik Tok video near the Minar-e-Pakistan national monument along with six of her friends when a large mob of over a hundred people reportedly "attacked them".
"People were pushing and pulling me to the extent that they tore my clothes. Several people tried to help me but the crowd was too huge and they kept throwing me in the air," The Dawn quoted the alleged victim as saying in her police complaint.
According to the woman, her ring and earrings were forcibly snatched by some people in the mob; a mobile phone and 15,000 Pakistani Rupees were stolen from two of her friends.
While Pakistanis sharing the video stated that "400 men" were involved in the incident, the exact number remains unclear.
Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media, showing a girl wearing a white coloured Kurta being assaulted by the crowd. People can also be seen trying to shut her mouth and later pick her up and pass her along the crowd.
Police Action
A case has been registered against over a hundred men in Lahore's Lorry Adda police station under sections 354 A (assault or use of criminal force against woman and stripping her of her clothes), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Sajid Kiyani, Lahore's Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) has ordered his subordinates to track people involved in this incident using video footage, a report by The Dawn added.
Officials and news media are waiting for more details to emerge as part of the investigation of the case.
With at least 11 rape cases reported per day, Pakistan recorded over 22,000 rapes between 2014 and 2020. The numbers were released by the Police, Law, and Justice Commission of Pakistan in November 2020, revealing the extent of the crime.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has been criticised for blaming such cases on the clothes worn by women.