Kanju acquittal: LHC seeks DNA report by December 28
Court informed DNA report of victim’s blood samples yet to be prepared
An Express News screengrab of Mustafa Kanju. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
A division bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the delay in DNA report of blood samples of deceased Zain.
The bench observed that it was a high-profile case. The prosecution, it said, should have shown more responsibility.
The bench, headed by Justice Shahid Hameed Dar, is hearing arguments on the maintainability of an appeal by the Prosecution Department against the acquittal of Mustafa Kanju in the murder case.
Prosecutor General Ehtesham Qadir Shah said that the DNA report of the victim’s blood samples was yet to be prepared by the forensic laboratory. He said blood stains were found in Kanju’s car which was used to take Zain to hospital.
The bench expressed serious dismay over the undue delay in the preparation of the report and questioned the efficiency of the forensic laboratory. The bench directed the prosecutor to submit the DNA report by December 28.
The prosecutor had argued earlier that the trial court had decided Kanju’s acquittal application in haste without examining facts of the case. He said the trial court had not recorded statements of police witnesses.
He said the trial court had allowed acquittal application of the suspect exclusively on the basis of retraction of statements by some witnesses. He has requested the bench to issue admit notices on the appeal and start regular hearings. On October 27, an anti-terrorism court had acquitted Kanju and his guards of charges of murdering Zain and injuring another person.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2015.
A division bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the delay in DNA report of blood samples of deceased Zain.
The bench observed that it was a high-profile case. The prosecution, it said, should have shown more responsibility.
The bench, headed by Justice Shahid Hameed Dar, is hearing arguments on the maintainability of an appeal by the Prosecution Department against the acquittal of Mustafa Kanju in the murder case.
Prosecutor General Ehtesham Qadir Shah said that the DNA report of the victim’s blood samples was yet to be prepared by the forensic laboratory. He said blood stains were found in Kanju’s car which was used to take Zain to hospital.
The bench expressed serious dismay over the undue delay in the preparation of the report and questioned the efficiency of the forensic laboratory. The bench directed the prosecutor to submit the DNA report by December 28.
The prosecutor had argued earlier that the trial court had decided Kanju’s acquittal application in haste without examining facts of the case. He said the trial court had not recorded statements of police witnesses.
He said the trial court had allowed acquittal application of the suspect exclusively on the basis of retraction of statements by some witnesses. He has requested the bench to issue admit notices on the appeal and start regular hearings. On October 27, an anti-terrorism court had acquitted Kanju and his guards of charges of murdering Zain and injuring another person.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2015.