Judge accused of rape refuses DNA testing from labs in Pakistan

Requests court to allow him to send his DNA samples for test to US lab


​ Our Correspondent February 22, 2020
PHOTO: FILE

HYDERABAD: The civil judge facing rape charges has refused to provide his DNA samples for testing to any government authorised laboratory in Pakistan.

During a hearing in the court of an additional district and sessions judge in Jamshoro district on Friday, the suspended judge, Imtiaz Hussain Bhutto, requested the court to allow him to send his DNA samples for testing to a laboratory in the United States. However, the court said the permission could only be granted on the condition that he himself bore the cost.

At this, the accused judge refused to pay the charges, saying the provincial government should foot the bill. The court later gave him the option of getting the samples tested at Aga Khan University Hospital’s laboratories.

However, investigation officer DSP Aurangzeb Abbassi rejected the suggestion, saying that as per the law the test was only to be conducted at a government-authorised laboratory. “If the judge doubts the authenticity of labs in Sindh, he can go to a government-authorised lab in another province,” the DSP said.

SHC CJ suspends Sehwan judge over 'misconduct'

In his report submitted to the court, Abbassi complained that Bhutto is not cooperating in the investigation.

At the last hearing, on February 14, the court had given Bhutto a week to provide samples for the DNA test.

The DSP said the suspended judge disobeyed the court’s order. The investigation team requested the court to reject the judge’s bail so that he could be arrested for interrogation.

The court adjourned the hearing for a day, asking Bhutto to decide if he would provide the DNA sample.

Today, the court will hear the case again and the police are likely to plead the cancellation of the accused’s bail if the suspended judge does not agree to get the DNA samples tested at a government authorised laboratory in Pakistan.

“If even the judges don’t trust the government authorised labs in Pakistan, then how will they order other accused persons or complainants to go to the same labs?” asked an official of the Jamshoro police, talking to The Express Tribune.

Bhutto had allegedly raped a woman who had appeared before him to record a statement about her free-will marriage in his chamber in Sehwan on January 13. He earlier blamed Sehwan’s police for framing him in the case and requested the court to transfer the investigation to a different district. The court later transferred the investigation to Hyderabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2020.

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