F-9 park rape case suspects gunned down in exchange of fire: Islamabad police

Two suspects allegedly involved in the F-9 park rape case were killed in an exchange of fire with cops at a snap checking point set up in the federal capital, the Islamabad police spokesperson said on Thursday.

Last night, the police had set up a snap checking point in Sector D-12 of Islamabad.

The Islamabad police said that when the suspects, Nawab Ali and Iqbal, saw the check post, they opened fire on the cops.

The spokesperson said the attackers were injured during the retaliatory fire adding “the suspects were caught injured but later died when they were shifted to the hospital.”

The police said suspects Nawab and Iqbal were wanted in multiple cases of street crimes and over 60 cases were registered against them. One of them was also wanted for murder during a robbery.

The spokesperson said the cops involved in the exchange of fire remained safe due to the safety measures.

Islamabad Police track down ‘suspects’

A day earlier, the Islamabad Police had said that they had tracked down the suspects of the F-9 park rape case; however, denied making any arrests so far.

“It is requested to avoid speculations related to this case under investigation,” the Islamabad Police tweeted and asked people to inform the authorities if they have any information regarding the suspects.

On Tuesday, Inspector-General of Islamabad Police Akbar Nasir Khan said that the unfortunate incident took place in the unlit part of the park.

Khan, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, also added that the police had not yet made any arrests in connection with the incident and will only do so once they have obtained solid evidence.

What happened?

Two armed men allegedly raped a woman in Islamabad’s F-9 park at gunpoint on February 2. The case surfaced in the news two days leaving the nation shocked at the audacity of the criminals who approached the victim — accompanied by her colleague — at the park, according to the first information report (FIR).

The FIR further stated that the gun-toting aggressors took the two to a nearby thicket at gunpoint and separated them. The attackers then beat the young woman up when she pleaded with them to let her go and even offered them money in exchange for her safety, the FIR read.

When the victim tried to raise her voice, she was beaten and threatened by the attackers who said they would call their “friends” to join them. Her attempts to run away were also foiled by the attackers, the FIR stated.

As they were leaving into a nearby thicket, the alleged culprits returned “all our things and gave us Rs1,000 to stay quiet” while also telling the victim that she should not be in the park at “this” time of the night, according to the FIR.