Four acquitted in murder case

Defence counsel says all accused are implicated in a forged FIR

LAHORE: Four men, accused in a murder case, were acquitted on Saturday by a sessions court after the prosecution failed to establish their involvement in the killing.

The deceased, named Muhammad Akram, was having an affair with the wife of one of the accused named Niamat Ali, that lasted more than two months.

Ali subsequently came to know about the affair, but wanted to be certain about their involvement. In reprisal, Ali started an affair with the deceased’s wife, Zahida Bibi.

The woman, mother of eight children, decided to kill her own husband, Akram, in connivance with her lover, Ali, who was ensnared by Ali’s wife. Ali invited Akram to his home where Zahida was already there. He attacked Akram with an axe, killing him instantaneously.

Both the accused are said to have put the man’s corpse in a plastic bag, dumping it in Block P of Model Town.

An FIR was registered in Faisal Town police station on May 25, 2011. During investigation, police found out that plastic bags had been taken from the drycleaner’s shop by the brother of Niamat, Khalid.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s brother, Aslam, appeared before the court. He said that Ali suspected that Akram was having illicit relations with his wife and he then killed her in connivance with the accused.

Accused Ali, Muhammad Khalid, Muhammad Munawar and Zahida were nominated in the FIR.

The counsel for the accused contended that all of the accused had been implicated in a forged FIR that had nothing to do with reality. He said that the FIR was merely a tool to blackmail and humiliate the accused.

The prosecution insisted that the accused had been killed in revenge.

However, after hearing detailed arguments, an additional district and sessions judge acquitted them.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2017.