Lahore: A sessions court on Wednesday granted post arrest bail to a suspect in the alleged sexual assault of two foreign women, after his defence counsel challenged the evidence and questioned the police investigation.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal approved the bail petition subject to the submission of surety bonds, following arguments from both the prosecution and defence.

During the hearing, state prosecutor Mehwish Farooq opposed the application, maintaining that the prosecution had sufficient evidence to establish the charges against the accused.

However, defence counsel Salman Shahid argued that his client had been implicated through a flawed investigation and that the first information report (FIR) did not attribute any specific role or allegation to him.

The lawyer also questioned the investigation, stating that police had not conducted an identification parade to establish his client's involvement. He further claimed that his client's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test had returned a negative result.

According to the defence, the accused worked as a member of the janitorial staff at the property where the alleged incident took place. The lawyer maintained that his client's employment at the premises did not establish his involvement in the alleged offence.

The case was registered in July at Lahore's Defence C police station following allegations of sexual assault involving two foreign nationals. Police initially arrested four suspects, including an individual related to a senior political figure. More arrests followed during the investigation, bringing additional suspects into the case.

A day before the bail hearing, the court had formally indicted eight suspects and summoned prosecution witnesses to record their statements.The FIR was registered under several provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including Section 365 A concerning kidnapping for extortion, Section 375 A concerning the alleged sexual offence, Section 201 concerning the disappearance of evidence, Section 368 dealing with the concealment or confinement of abducted persons, and Section 337 L(II) relating to hurt.

The decision to grant bail does not amount to an acquittal or a determination of guilt. The charges remain subject to trial, where the prosecution will be required to establish its case through evidence and witness testimony. The proceedings will continue as the court examines the allegations against the accused and the evidence presented by both sides.