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An Additional District and Sessions Court in Faisalabad has sentenced an industrialist and his personal secretary to prison in a high-profile case involving the abduction, assault and online exploitation of a medical student, bringing partial closure to a case that triggered widespread outrage after a video of the abuse went viral.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Kaneez Faiza Bhatti handed Sheikh Danish five years’ rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs5 million and Rs10 million in compensation payable to the victim. His secretary, Mahum Sheikh, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined Rs3 million. Both convicts were taken into custody from the courtroom and shifted to jail following the verdict.
The court acquitted four other accused — including Danish’s daughter, Anum Fatima, as well as Ghulam Murtaza, Ghulam Mustafa and Faizan — citing insufficient evidence to establish their involvement.
According to the prosecution, the case dates back four years, when Danish allegedly abducted Dr Khadija Ghafoor, a medical student and classmate of his daughter, over what prosecutors described as a perceived personal slight. She was taken to the accused’s residence, where she was subjected to physical abuse, including being slapped, kicked and forcibly humiliated. Her hair was reportedly cut, and a video of the incident was recorded and later circulated on social media.
The viral footage sparked national and international condemnation, prompting then City Police Officer Umar Saeed Malik to order the arrest of the accused and registration of a criminal case. Parallel proceedings were also initiated by the Federal Investigation Agency under cybercrime laws.
In the cybercrime case, the court found both accused guilty under multiple provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. Sheikh Danish was convicted under sections 3, 4, 16, 20, 21 and 24, receiving cumulative sentences that included three months to five years of rigorous imprisonment on different counts, alongside fines ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs5 million. He was also directed to pay Rs10 million in compensation under section 45 of PECA for damage to the victim’s dignity and reputation.
Mahum Sheikh was similarly convicted under the same provisions, receiving sentences ranging from three months to three years of rigorous imprisonment, along with fines between Rs50,000 and Rs3 million.
The court ruled that all sentences would run concurrently and granted both convicts the benefit of Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code, allowing time already spent in custody to be counted towards their sentences. In case of default on fine payments, additional imprisonment ranging from 15 days to six months would apply.
Court records indicate that Danish had previously spent around one and a half years in district jail before securing bail from the Lahore High Court. His petitions seeking to merge the cybercrime and women police station cases were dismissed by both the high court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which directed that the cases proceed separately.
During the trial, the victim reportedly faced pressure to reach an out-of-court settlement but chose to continue pursuing legal action. Speaking after the verdict, Dr Khadija termed the decision a significant milestone. “Justice has been served. A tyrant has been punished,” she said.
Legal proceedings in a related case registered at the women’s police station remain ongoing, with one prosecution witness yet to record their statement.
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