UC Nazim remanded to police custody in Ranjhani murder case

Police arrest Shah Latif Police Station SHO for criminal negligence in duty

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate of the Malir Court remanded UC Nazim Rahim Shah, the main accused in the Irshad Ranjhani murder case, to police custody for four days. Meanwhile, police arrested the additional SHO of Shah Latif Police Station, Riaz Amir, in the same case on Tuesday.

Shah latif Police had registered the case of Ranjhani’s murder, FIR no. 105/19, under Section 7 (punishment for act of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act as well as sections 302 (intentional murder) and 201/34 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of the deceased’s brother, Khalid Hussain Ranjhani and lists UC Nazim Rahim Shah, his son, their two guards, DSP Shaukat Shahani and Shah Latif Police Station SHO as the accused.

Police on Tuesday arrested Additional SHO Riaz Amir for showing negligence in duty. Amir had already been suspended by the East Zone DIG a day earlier.



Remand

Meanwhile, the primary accused Rahim Shah, was presented before the Judicial Magistrate of Malir Court. The accused was brought to the court in an Armoured Personnel Carrier amid tight security cover. The court accepted the police’s request for a four-day physical remand.

As the hearing began, a large number of protesters had gathered at the court. The security officials had to intervene when lawyers and other protesters tried to encircle the accused. The lawyers also tried to slap and throw their shoes at Shah, but the police pushed them back and were able to escort him out of the court premises safely.



Judicial inquiry

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court has responded to the chief minister’s request that it does not have the jurisdiction to conduct a judicial inquiry into Irshad Ranjhani’s murder

Earlier, the government of Sindh had written a letter to the Sindh High Court, asking for a judicial inquiry into Ranjhani’s murder.

According to the Sindh High Court Registrar, the SHC has suggested the Sindh government to approach the district and sessions court, which has the authority to order a judicial inquiry. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2019.