City violence: 70 suspects remanded after May 2 riots

Some of the arrested suspects are said to be disabled.

KARACHI: The 70 people arrested for rioting and arson after the killing of Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Farooq Baig were presented in court on Tuesday.

The police arrested vendors and labourers. Some of the suspects are even said to be disabled. The city court and Malir district court reviewed the case and remanded the accused in police custody for 14 days.

In their defence, the accused claimed that they were walking back home from work as there was no public transport available when the police stopped them for snap-checking.

They said that the police wanted bribes and arrested them after they refused to pay up. Meanwhile, another suspect, Shah Jehan, said that he was arrested along with his disabled brother when they were helping their father shut down his tailor shop.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2011.