Adeel-Tatla case: Zodiac killer sent on five-day physical remand

Sources say security agencies detained SSP Adeel from the Pakistan-Iran border

LAHORE: A magisterial court on Wednesday handed over Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mufakhar Adeel to the police on a five-day physical remand, for allegedly killing former assistant advocate general Shehbaz Tatla.

SSP Adeel was produced in an armoured vehicle at the Model Town Kachehri. Strict security arrangements were made.

As the handcuffed SSP was produced before the judicial magistrate, the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case sought physical remand of 14 days on plea to properly investigate the matter.

The police contended that the investigation will be carried out to ascertain how Shehbaz Tatla was murdered, what the murder weapon was and where the body was hidden.

Adeel-Tatla case: Zodiac killer cop lands in lockup

The accused's counsel did not contest the physical remand, adding that it is the right of the police to investigate the matter.

Addressing the media, the accused's counsel advocate Aftab Bajwa said, "we will cooperate with the police in the process of investigation, but it is very clear that Mufakhar was arrested in doubt".

He also questioned the performance of the police.

On the other hand, Tatla’s counsel Syed Farhad Ali Shah remained hopeful over the performance of the police.

It is pertinent to mention that the concerned police had arrested co-accused Asad Bhatti on February 15 and upon whose direction the police recovered important evidence.

Police had also recovered laptops of the SSP and Tatla after Tatla went missing on February 14.

Legal hiccups delaying Adeel-Tatla case probe

On February 13, CIA police recorded statements of five persons including three women who had visited the house where the incident occurred. Later, Asad Bhatti confessed to the alleged murder of Tatla.

On February 25, the forensic teams dug out the courtyard of the house and collected the evidence.

On February 20, police met with legal heirs of deceased Tatla registered an FIR in Naseerabad police. Tatla’s brother registered the report claiming his brother was missing.

Earlier on Tuesday, the SSP was arrested after he returned to Pakistan due to the fear of coronavirus spreading in Iran.

Sources said security agencies detained SSP Adeel from the Pakistan-Iran border and handed him over to Lahore police.

In his initial statement, Adeel conceded that he had planned the murder of Tatla because he was threatening to assault his wife after having raped his former spouse in 2012.