Sialkot lynching case: LHC grants bail to key accused

The former SHO is alleged to have allowed the mob to murder the boys.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted bail to a former policeman who was one of the key accused in the Sialkot lynching case.

Rana Ilyas, former SHO Sadar, Sialkot, has also been ordered to submit a surety bond of Rs0.2 million and two personal sureties.

The division bench, headed by LHC Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, passed the order on a bail petition filed by Ilyas through his counsel. He said that the FIR contained the names of his co-accused and he was added through a supplementary statement.

He submitted that in the statement, he had been alleged of having neglected his legal obligations and allowing the lynching of Mughees and Muneeb Butt. He said that it was also alleged that the murder was committed in his presence but claimed that he had reached the spot after the incident had already occurred and tried to control the mob.

He said that he had filed post-arrest bail before a special judge of an anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala, which was dismissed. Then, he said, he filed another plea before the LHC which was disposed of with the direction to the trial court to conclude hearing as soon as possible.

He submitted that the trial is not likely to conclude in the near future as only 13 of 41 witnesses had recorded their statements so far. He said that the trial court’s judge has also been transferred and cross-examining all 28 accused in the case would cause further delay.

He submitted that his co-accused, former District Police Officer Waqar Chohan, had been released on bail even though he was charged on similar grounds. He prayed to the court to grant him bail and pleaded innocence.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2011.