Abandoned child: IO issued show-cause notice in Halima murder case

Officer failed to appear before sessions court

KARACHI: A sessions court issued on Monday show-cause notice to investigation officer (IO) of the Halima murder case for not producing the police file against the arrested suspects.

The District South additional district and sessions judge, Suhail Ahmed Leghari, directed the IO, Inspector Hameedullah, to appear in person and inform the court the reason for his failure to bring the file of the case at the next hearing. The judge also issued directions to the relevant SSP to appear along with him.

The hearing was fixed for proceedings on the bail application of the arrested suspects, Rizwan Ayaz Khan and his wife, Sonia. However, the hearing was adjourned as the IO did not appear during the court’s working hours.

Khan is deemed as the prime suspect behind the murder of Halima who was found dead in her flat in Delhi Colony on May 31. Five days before the recovery of dead body, Khan had handed over her four-year-old son, Abdullah, to the Edhi Foundation, claiming that he found him at Do Darya. Later, during the investigations, it was found that Khan was in a ‘relationship’ with the deceased woman and the suspicion about his role in the killing grew stronger when he disappeared.

However, he was caught by the police in an intelligence-based raid in the outskirts of the city off the Super Highway. During this time, his wife, Sonia, was also arrested by the police for questioning. Though, the police have found Sonia innocent in the investigations and have recommended the court release her for lack of evidence. Still, the matter is subjected to scrutiny of the evidence collected so far.

Meanwhile, both the suspects, through their mutual attorney, have moved bail application before the judge tasked the case. The case was sent up to a sessions court for trial proceedings by a judicial magistrate in the last week of June.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2016.