Family of lynched teenager ‘settles’ with accused

SHC orders a copy of the agreement to be presented in court as proof

KARACHI: The family of a 17-year-old boy who was lynched to death has come to a settlement with the accused, said the accused's lawyer in a hearing at the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday. The SHC has ordered a copy of the settlement agreement to be presented in court.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Abdul Mobin Lakho, heard a petition regarding the inclusion of anti-terrorism charges and the formation of a joint interrogation team (JIT) in the case of the boy's death.

The boy, Rehan, was beaten to death by residents of Bahudurabad after being accused of stealing in August. According to police, two suspected robbers had attempted to enter a bungalow and one of them, Rehan, was caught by a security guard while the other managed to escape. In a video circulated widely on social media, the boy was seen tied to a metal grill and beaten with sticks.

The lawyer of the accused maintained that a settlement had been agreed with the deceased's family.

Parents of Bahudarabad lynching victim want torturers tried under anti-terror law

"If the agreement is done, where is the copy of it? Why has a copy of it not been presented?" asked the plaintiff's lawyer.

The court ordered the defendant's counsel to present a copy of the agreement at the next hearing, and adjourned the case till January 22.

The court had also approved applications filed by the accused, including Zubair Khan, Shakib, Shariq and Daniyal Yousuf, to become a party in the petition.

The deceased's family had claimed in their petition that the police were not cooperating in investigations of the case, adding that they did not know what was happening in the investigations. They further stated that the way Rehan was killed was an act of terrorism and demanded that the perpetrators be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Moreover, they said, the viral videos of the incident fell into the category of cybercrime so the Federal Investigation Agency director should be ordered to file a case with the relevant cybercrime charges.

Extension in torture case

The SHC also accepted a plea seeking an extension from the state counsel in a case pertaining to the alleged torture of Dr Nisar Morai, the former Fishermen Cooperative Society chairperson, in jail.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Kalhoro and Justice Lakho, were hearing the case.

The petitioner's counsel maintained that a commission should be formulated for an inquiry into the torture inflicted upon Morai.

The state counsel responded that a letter had been written to the interior department with regard to the establishment of the commission. He pleaded for an extension to be granted until the response of the interior department was received.

The court, accepting the plea, adjourned the hearing till January 16.

In the petition, Dr Seema Nisar, Morai's wife, claimed that he was in critical condition and was not being provided medical treatment.

Two other accused in the case were recently shifted from Landhi jail to solitary confinement by jail authorities.

Verdict reserved

The SHC reserved its verdict in a plea demanding the publication of a JIT report about Dr Nisar Morai and Uzair Baloch, named in the Baldia factory fire care, after the additional advocate-general submitted his reply on the petition.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi, were hearing the petition.

Sarwar Khan, the additional advocate-general, maintained that the petition did not reflect public interest, adding that the petitioner, federal maritime affairs minister Ali Zaidi, did not constitute an affectee of the tragedy.

He claimed that the JIT was a police report without much significance for the public. He further said that all cases relating to the incident were currently undergoing legal proceedings in court, and making the JIT public would affect these proceedings since the petitioner was a political opponent of the province's ruling party.

Khan demanded that the court reject the plea, stating that the petition reflected Zaidi's political interests.

On the other hand, Zaidi's counsel, Umar Soomro, maintained that the facts must be revealed before the public.

The court has once again reserved its verdict on the petition.

Bail approved

Meanwhile, the SHC approved on Monday the bail plea of Mansoor Rajput, the former deputy director of the Sindh information department, in a reference pertaining to corruption.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Umar Siyal, accepted the bail plea of Rajput, who allegedly collaborated with former Sindh information minister Sharjeel Memon in corruption of Rs5.76 billion.

Issuing directives for the deposit of a surety bond worth one million rupees, the bench also ordered to put Rajput's name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

The court further sought a report regarding the health of Inam Akbar, another suspect in the case, from Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre executive director Dr Seemin  Jamali. It ordered her to present details about the illness from which he was suffering and the duration of his treatment.

The court also sought a report from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor and the accountability court regarding the bail pleas of co-accused Umar Shehzad, Naveed Ahmed and Salman, ordering them to submit written responses by January 20.



Illegal recruitment

In another case, relating to illegal recruitment practices in Karachi Port Trust (KPT), the SHC approved bail for former KPT general manager Rauf Akhtar Farooqi and human resources manager Mehmood Sharif.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Shamsuddin Abbasi, approved the bail pleas, asking the accused to submit surety bonds of one million rupees each. The court also ordered their names to be placed on the ECL.

According to NAB, the two accused were in jail after interim bail was denied by the SHC and then the Supreme Court.

Former ports and shipping minister Babar Ghauri has also been declared a proclaimed offender in the reference.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2019.