BAHAWALPUR: A 21-year-old woman who was allegedly raped at Mandhal village eight days back, submitted an application with the Nowshehra Jadid police station for registration of a case against the suspects on Sunday night.

According to police sources, the woman `H` (name withheld as per newspaper`s policy) in her complaint to the police stated that she was raped on Jan 12 and could not file a complaint because of the pressure of an influential person of the area, who prevented her from lodging a case against the suspects.

Jam Sajid, Public Relations Officer of the district police officer (DFO) told Dawn that the woman submitted herapplication on Sunday night to Nowshera Jadid police.

The police, he said, registered an FIR (No.30/20) under section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against four suspects, two of them nominated and as many unidentified.

In her complaint, she said that on the night of Jan 12 when she went to the fields outside her house on Nature`s call, the four suspects held her at gunpoint. She said they forcibly took her to sand dunes near Darbar Shaheedan where one of them allegedly raped her at gunpoint while his three armed accomplices stood guards.

She added that the alleged rapist also snatched her gold earrings and a necklace.

She added that when she raised an alarm, several locals reached the spot, while the suspects fled the scene.

The PRO said that none of the suspects had so far been arrested, while the police were trying to track them.