‘How would you feel if you had to spend a day in jail?’

Delayed submission of charge-sheets irks Supreme Court.


Our Correspondent February 21, 2012

LAHORE:


The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought details of all prisoners whose charge sheets have not been submitted before courts but whose trial is not underway.


A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, also summoned IG Haji Habibur Rehman and SSP (investigation) Abdul Razzaq Cheema to appear before the court with their written replies and a record of the prisoners on Wednesday (today).

The court was hearing a bail petition wherein it was informed that the accused had been behind bars for eight months without the submission of a charge sheet.

The chief justice remarked that police officers would realise the gravity of the matter if they were made to spend a day in jail. He asked the IGP how he would feel if the court released all prisoners whose charge sheets have so far not been submitted before the courts. The IGP submitted that he would ensure the submission of charge sheets of the accused as early as possible. He added that police officials not submitting charge sheets within the two-week stipulated time would be dealt with according to the law.

The court was hearing the bail application of Ali Nawaz, accused of killing his wife, Advocate Neelam Barial.

Nawaz said that his deceased wife’s relatives have wrongly implicated him in the case, lodging an FIR against him on May 7, 2011.

He prayed the court to grant him bail denied by the sessions court and the Lahore High Court.

Contesting the application, the complainant’s counsel Imrana Parveen Baloch submitted that there was ample evidence of role played by the the accused in the murder.

After hearing the arguments, the court dismissed the bail application.

Neelam Shehzadi, a sister of Neelam Barial, told the court that the accused had murdered his wife after she refused to quit her legal practice.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2012.

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