Major twist in foreign woman Diana rape case – Sessions Judge Rafaqat Gondal recuses himself from hearing

A new twist has emerged in the high-profile alleged rape case of foreign woman Diana, who belongs to Azerbaijan, in the Sessions Court of Lahore.

Additional Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal has recused himself from hearing the interim bail application of the main accused Ahmed Tanveer and has sent the case by making a reference to the Lahore High Court. Now the Lahore High Court will decide which judge will hear this case further.

*What Happened in Court? – Complete Details*

The interim bail application of accused Ahmed Tanveer was fixed for hearing in the Sessions Court of Lahore.

– On behalf of accused Ahmed Tanveer, lawyers Nasir Mehmood Chaudhry and Safdar Shaheen Pirzada Advocate appeared in court.
– The lawyers requested the court that after expiry of the interim bail period, the attendance of the accused be marked through video link.
– The court rejected the request for attendance of the accused through video link.
– On this occasion, learned Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal gave important remarks: “In view of the situation that has arisen, I cannot hear this case”
– The court sent a reference of the case to the Lahore High Court.

Contradiction also emerged in the stance of the parties:

– Stance of the Prosecution: The public prosecutor said that the decision of interim bail given to the accused should be challenged, it should not remain intact.
– Stance of the victim woman’s lawyer: Diana’s lawyer said in court that “We will not challenge this interim bail decision.”

*Complete Background of the Case – Why Did This Case Become High-Profile?*

*1. Initial Case:* At the end of September 2026, a case was registered in Defence C Police Station, Lahore, on the complaint of Diana, a citizen of Azerbaijan. According to the FIR, 2 women Muskan and Namra and 3 men Mohsin, Ahmed Tanveer and Ali Zain intoxicated the foreign woman and allegedly subjected her to rape and snatched mobile phones.

*2. Statement under Section 164:* After the incident, Diana recorded her statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before a Judicial Magistrate and repeated her allegations, in which a clear accusation was made against all three male accused.

*3. Sudden U-turn – Video Statement from Baku:* The case took a dramatic turn at the end of October when a video of Diana, who was at that time in Baku / Dubai, surfaced on social media. In this video, Diana deviated from her previous statement and said that “Ahmed Tanveer did not rape me, my first statement was under pressure, I also forgive the other accused Mohsin and Ali Zain.”

*4. Allegation of Rs. 20 Million and Bribing the Judge – Claim by Police Sources:* Immediately after Diana changed her statement, police sources made a sensational claim that the family of the main accused Ahmed Tanveer, who belongs to an influential family, has allegedly paid Rs. 20 million to Diana to change her statement. According to sources, the father of the accused had allegedly gone from London to Azerbaijan.

*5. Notice by Chief Minister Punjab:* Considering the sensitivity of the matter, 3 days ago, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz also took notice of this case. The Chief Minister had said that there are reports that the victim foreign woman was offered Rs. 15 to 20 million and there are also allegations of bribing the judge. The government had announced that the state will continue to pursue the case and justice will not be allowed to be sold.

Now after the recusal of the Additional Sessions Judge, this high-profile case has been completely transferred to the Lahore High Court, where after appointment of a new judge, the future of the accused’s interim bail and the case will be decided.