Perween Rehman murder case: Court issues show-cause to investigating officer

District West police superintendent fails to produce 'prime suspect'

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate issued on Saturday show-cause notice to the police officer investigating the murder case of social worker Perween Rahman because he failed to produce the 'prime suspect' in the case for recording of confessional statement.

Rahim Swati, one of the key suspects behind the murder of the Orangi Pilot Project director, was to be produced before District West magistrate Salman Amjad Qureshi. However, he was not produced and the police did not inform the court about the reason behind this.



The police investigator, Raja Ulfat, had moved an application before the magistrate on Friday stating that the suspect wanted to confess, therefore, a date be given for this. The judge directed him to bring the suspect on Saturday to record the statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Irked with the investigation officer's conduct, the judge asked the District West police senior superintendent to produce the officer before him.

Swati was arrested on May 7, following a shootout with the law enforcers in Manghopir. The accused is currently in police custody on physical remand till May 30, however, two other suspects are in jail as their trial in pending in an anti-terrorism court.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2016.