LAHORE: The investigation into the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of two foreign women in Lahore has taken an unexpected turn, as authorities explore a potential link to a cryptocurrency-related financial dispute.
Sources close to the case reveal that the victims and the main suspect, identified as Raza Dar, may have been embroiled in a financial disagreement involving cryptocurrency transactions. It is believed that the suspect was owed around US$1.5 million—equivalent to approximately Rs450 million—from the foreign women.
Police investigations are also probing allegations that Raza Dar, who is reportedly related to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, lured the women to Pakistan under false pretenses, only to allegedly orchestrate a kidnapping. Further claims suggest that Dar involved himself in the abduction scheme to give the incident an appearance of legitimacy.
The authorities emphasized that the inquiry remains ongoing, with the cryptocurrency dispute and kidnapping allegations under active examination. No definitive conclusions have been reached, and the case is still under investigation.
Victims Provide Statements in Court
Subsequently, police produced the two foreign nationals before a magistrate at Cantt Kutchery, where they provided their statements under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The victims, identified as Stephanie Adriana Mao and Astrid Robinson, stated they had traveled to Pakistan to meet friends.
In their testimonies, the women claimed they had been kidnapped, held for ransom, and subjected to sexual assault by the suspects. Police noted that these statements were recorded as part of the legal process required for the investigation.
The FIR lodged in the case accuses the suspects of kidnapping for ransom and gang rape. However, it specifies that Raza Dar himself is not accused of the sexual assault. Instead, the FIR alleges that he continued to demand ransom while other suspects carried out the criminal acts.
Following the FIR registration, the case was transferred to the Investigation Wing, where investigators have broadened the scope of their inquiry.
