2024 Alleged Lahore college rape case

2024 Alleged Lahore College rape case

Date	11 October 2024 (2024-10-11)
Location	Punjab College for Women, 43 & 43A, Ghalib Road, Block E1, Gulberg III, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Also known as	PGC Campus 10 Rape
Type	Rape
Outcome	No evidence found to support the allegations of rape
Deaths	0
Non-fatal injuries	28
Arrests	1

On 11 October 2024, a fake news spread regarding the rape of a 17-year-old female HSSC-I ICS student at Punjab College Gulberg campus 10 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan in the basement of the college building. Allegedly, the victim was transferred to a nearby hospital and was said to have been shifted to the ICU in a critical condition.

Massive protests erupted in the premises of the city, especially in the various campuses of PGC spread across Lahore. On 14 October 2024, one of the two suspects, a security guard working for the college, was arrested by the Punjab Police from Sialkot, while the other suspect, a van driver, was missing. Aurat March, a women's rights group, requested the Punjab Government to take actions against the "atrocity." On the same day, the registration of the college was suspended on the orders of the Provincial Minister of School Education Punjab Rana Sikandar Hayat.

Incident

According to the college students, on the morning of 11 October 2024, Friday, the college van driver reportedly tricked and locked the victim in the basement after successfully calling her down to tell her about the pending fees. The security guard, whose name was given as Aun, raped the victim until a teacher heard her screams and came to rescue her. The guard escaped while the victim was rushed to a hospital in a deteriorating condition.

Protests

Massive protests were observed in Lahore with severe clashes between the students and police. 27 students were injured due to the baton charge with 1 student being shifted to the Services Hospital due to his critical condition. 4 police officers were injured during the counter-attack. Many students and media personalities from all over the country started various online movements and hashtags for justice on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, X, etc. Protests erupted in major metropolitan cities including Rawalpindi, Sargodha etc. of Punjab on 16 and 17 October, rejecting the press conference of CM Punjab and demanding a through investigation. Protesters attacked PGC Buildings in some places as well. Police used brute force such as rubber bullets and tear gass shelling on protestors.

Aftermath

The college administration completely denied the allegations and instead called them "false claims" and "fake propaganda" to tarnish the Institute's reputation. Mian Amer Mahmood, the owner of Punjab Group of Colleges, has not released any public statement regarding the allegations. Students who were said to have raised their voices for justice were either suppressed or suspended from the institute.

Due to the public unrest and mass protests conducted by the students, the Punjab Police was forced to arrest the suspect from Sialkot while the co-conspirator, the van driver, was on run. The provincial minister of Education Punjab Rana Sikandar Hayat ordered the DIG Operations, Lahore, Faisal Kamran to seal the college and suspend its registration. Hayat claimed that the principal of the institute, Sadia Javaid, deleted the CCTV footage of the incident and pressurised the students to stay quiet. He later blamed the administration of mishandling the situation while encouraging the students and ensuring them that he was with them throughout the protests. The provincial minister of Information Punjab Azma Bukhari, said in a press conference that the CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz was being "updated of the situation for every moment."

Investigation

The alleged sexual assault case involving a student at a private college in Lahore has stirred public outcry and widespread student protests. Reports initially surfaced on social media in October 2024, claiming a student was assaulted on campus. These claims led to student protests and calls for justice, which escalated as the case gained national attention.

In response, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz formed a six-member investigative committee, which included senior officials to assess the incident. Lahore police also investigated, calling for any direct evidence but found none through CCTV footage or witness testimonies. Additionally, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) conducted an independent investigation, which also concluded there was no credible evidence supporting the allegations

The student’s family clarified that her injuries were due to an accidental fall at home and denied any assault. They urged authorities to act against those spreading false information online, citing the stress and harm caused by the misinformation. Subsequently, the Punjab government initiated an inquiry to track the sources of the disinformation campaign on social media, aiming to hold individuals accountable for instigating public unrest through baseless claims

The HRCP also criticized the police’s use of force on student protesters, emphasizing the need to address genuine concerns about campus safety and harassment, which may have fueled the intense reaction despite the lack of evidence in this specific case.