ISLAMABAD (AP) – Pakistani police arrested 10 alleged members of a criminal gang on Monday accused of flogging a transgender woman and posting a video of the abuse on social media, officials said.
The arrests were made in the eastern city of Sialkot after a video of the flogging was shared thousands of times on social media, said police official Iqbal Sindhu.
The video shows the gang leader pinning the woman face down on a bed with his foot and beating her with what appears to be a leather belt. At one point, while another gang member continues the flogging, the leader places his foot on the victim’s neck and twists her arms.
Police chief Abid Khan said five of those arrested have been charged with torture and extortion, while the other five are under investigation.
The alleged gang leader, who identified himself as Jajja, told Dunya News that he was friends with the victim.