Blackmail case: Woman, daughter get bail
Accused of sharing morphed images of relative with whom they have property dispute
Accused of sharing morphed images of relative with whom they have property dispute PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court granted bail on Thursday to two women who had been held on charges of sending obscene images and defamatory text messages to a female relative.
A three-judge bench of apex court headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmad took up the bail plea of the accused — a woman and her daughter.
Maria Naz and Shazia Begum were in Adiala Jail for the last two months after an FIR was registered against them on January 5.
The accused duo lives in Pakistan Police Foundation in Sector E-11.
According to the FIR, Naz, 18, had illegally transmitted obscene images and defamatory text messages to the complainant — Nazreen Sajjad — to defame the complainant and her family.
Counsel for the accused, Zulfiqar Bhutta, stated that none of the sections of law in the FIR could be applied to the incident.
The counsel further stated that there was a delay of more than one year in lodging the FIR as the incident dates to 2014 and the FIR was been registered on January 5 2016, adding that sections ETO 36 and 37 do not relate to the contents of the FIR.
The counsel said that the accused and accuser are relatives and there is an outstanding property dispute between the parties.
“If we believe some communication took place in between the complainant and the accused party, then it was a private and voluntarily exchange. The internet and cell phone provider offer blocking systems to every user. Undesired messages and calls can be blocked permanently by any user,” he adds.
The counsel further expressed apprehension that by refusing bail to an “unmarried woman” and her mother, the courts passed a culturally insensitive and illegal order, which ruined the lives of both women.
“Who can deny that members of law enforcement agencies have a reputation for committing heinous crimes against women in custody,” he further stated.
After hearing his arguments, the bench granted bail to the mother and daughter against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.
Earlier on April 27, Islamabad High Court rejected bail plea of the accused and ordered completion of trial within one month.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2016.
The Supreme Court granted bail on Thursday to two women who had been held on charges of sending obscene images and defamatory text messages to a female relative.
A three-judge bench of apex court headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmad took up the bail plea of the accused — a woman and her daughter.
Maria Naz and Shazia Begum were in Adiala Jail for the last two months after an FIR was registered against them on January 5.
The accused duo lives in Pakistan Police Foundation in Sector E-11.
According to the FIR, Naz, 18, had illegally transmitted obscene images and defamatory text messages to the complainant — Nazreen Sajjad — to defame the complainant and her family.
Counsel for the accused, Zulfiqar Bhutta, stated that none of the sections of law in the FIR could be applied to the incident.
The counsel further stated that there was a delay of more than one year in lodging the FIR as the incident dates to 2014 and the FIR was been registered on January 5 2016, adding that sections ETO 36 and 37 do not relate to the contents of the FIR.
The counsel said that the accused and accuser are relatives and there is an outstanding property dispute between the parties.
“If we believe some communication took place in between the complainant and the accused party, then it was a private and voluntarily exchange. The internet and cell phone provider offer blocking systems to every user. Undesired messages and calls can be blocked permanently by any user,” he adds.
The counsel further expressed apprehension that by refusing bail to an “unmarried woman” and her mother, the courts passed a culturally insensitive and illegal order, which ruined the lives of both women.
“Who can deny that members of law enforcement agencies have a reputation for committing heinous crimes against women in custody,” he further stated.
After hearing his arguments, the bench granted bail to the mother and daughter against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.
Earlier on April 27, Islamabad High Court rejected bail plea of the accused and ordered completion of trial within one month.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2016.