Murder case: Brother and sister let off by complainants

Family of victim forgive accused ‘without taking diyat’.

LAHORE:

A brother and sister who allegedly bludgeoned a man to death have been acquitted of murder charges after the family of the victim forgave them.

Muhammad Tanveer, the complainant in the case and son of the victim Bashir Ahmed, Saleha Bibi, the victim’s wife, and Ahmed’s sons and daughters Muhammad Maqbool, Saeed Ahmed, Mumtaz Bibi, Shehbaz Bibi and Saima Bibi submitted a written statement saying they forgave the accused “in the name of Allah without taking any diyat”.

According to the prosecution, on May 28, 2010, Muhammad Tanveer demanded that Muhammad Asif, who lived in his house on rent, return him Rs20,000 that he had lent him earlier. An argument ensued and Asif and his sister Mehwish Bibi began beating Tanveer with clubs. Bashir Ahmed, Tanveer’s father, tried to stop them but Asif and Mehwish attacked him too, according to the complainant.

Ahmed was badly injured and later died in a hospital. Tanveer lodged a murder complaint against Asif and Mehwish at Factory Area police station.

On Saturday, after the family of the deceased forgave them, Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Muhammad Tariq Javed acquitted the defendants. Mehwish had been on bail while Asif had been in jail.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2013.