Extrajudicial killing: Accused constable moves LHC for fresh investigation
Advocate general summoned to assist court on July 11.
LAHORE:
The chief justice of the Lahore High Court on Thursday sought the assistance of the advocate general on July 11 on a writ petition for fresh investigation of an alleged extrajudicial killing in Nishtar Colony.
The petition was filed by Seema Bibi, the mother of Constable Asif, one of four policemen accused of staging an encounter to kill robbery suspect Shahbaz Butt in custody. She asked the court to order a new investigation carried out by a DIG.
Her lawyer Advocate Aftab Ahmad Bajwa submitted that Constable Asif and Constable Qadir had only fired in the air during the incident. Butt had actually been shot by SHO Naveed Akmal and Zulfiqar Varyo, the investigation in-charge, he said.
The counsel presented the phone records of the police officers present at the crime scene and said the city police chief and other high ups had been in contact with them. He said that the city police chief had given the order to kill the suspect. He said the SHO was not even questioned, because he was a relative of an additional IG.
The CJ asked how a fresh investigation could be ordered after a challan had already been submitted to the trial court. Bajwa replied that the there were numerous Supreme Court judgments that allowed this, upon which the court summoned the advocate general and adjourned the hearing till July 11.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2011.
The chief justice of the Lahore High Court on Thursday sought the assistance of the advocate general on July 11 on a writ petition for fresh investigation of an alleged extrajudicial killing in Nishtar Colony.
The petition was filed by Seema Bibi, the mother of Constable Asif, one of four policemen accused of staging an encounter to kill robbery suspect Shahbaz Butt in custody. She asked the court to order a new investigation carried out by a DIG.
Her lawyer Advocate Aftab Ahmad Bajwa submitted that Constable Asif and Constable Qadir had only fired in the air during the incident. Butt had actually been shot by SHO Naveed Akmal and Zulfiqar Varyo, the investigation in-charge, he said.
The counsel presented the phone records of the police officers present at the crime scene and said the city police chief and other high ups had been in contact with them. He said that the city police chief had given the order to kill the suspect. He said the SHO was not even questioned, because he was a relative of an additional IG.
The CJ asked how a fresh investigation could be ordered after a challan had already been submitted to the trial court. Bajwa replied that the there were numerous Supreme Court judgments that allowed this, upon which the court summoned the advocate general and adjourned the hearing till July 11.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2011.