LAHORE: In a major development in the Lahore motorway gang-rape case, the rape victim woman has agreed to record her initial statement via telephone.

On September 9, the woman along with her children was waiting for help on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway after her car ran out of fuel when she was forcefully brought out of the car at gunpoint and gang-raped in Gujjarpura area on the outskirts of the provincial.

As per sources, after 20 days of the gang-rape, the victim has agreed to identify Shafqat Ali, in the identification parade and record her statement via phone under section 161. It was further learned that the police will request the court for an in-camera trial in which real identification of the rape victim would be kept in secret.

Meanwhile, Punjab police have failed to nab main suspect Abid Malhi in the case despite the passage of 20 days. Police sources said that the accused is still hiding in the limits of Punjab province. Efforts are underway to arrest the accused. NNI