Alleged torture?: What does ‘other hurt’ mean, judge asks MLO

Medical examiner told to properly explain prisoner’s injuries.


Express July 04, 2011

KARACHI:


A judge has asked a Jinnah hospital medical examiner to be more specific about the injuries of a man standing trial on charges of target killings. What does “other hurt” mean, he asked, describing the term as vague and misguiding.


The medical report was put together for Muntazir Imam, who was booked in nine cases of terrorism related to a rival sect and is alleged to have killed their top scholars. He is also suspected of heading a gang of target killers. Imam has been in custody since June 1 but when he was presented before the administrative judge he was in bad shape and had visible torture marks on his buttocks and limbs.

He was sent for treatment to Jinnah hospital in police custody and then to prison pending trial.

On Saturday, the administrative judge for the Anti-Terrorism Courts for Karachi, expressed his dissatisfaction with the medical examination report submitted by Medico Legal Officer Dr Dilip Khatri. Jinnah hospital’s Dr Seemin Jamali appeared in court with Khatri. She told the judge that she had sent the report immediately after he had filed it and it had been Khatri’s responsibility to prepare a detailed report.

The judge went through the report and observed that it did not give any findings on the nature of Imam’s injuries, how they were caused, whether by another person or if they were self inflicted. He then told Khatri to submit a detailed report by Monday, July 4.

The judge then extended Imam’s judicial custody till Monday and ordered for him to be produced at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2011.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ