Murder witness retracts statement in court

A government lawyer moved an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday to declare eyewitness Abid Rasheed, an Edhi ambulance driver, as a hostile witness in the Irshad Ranjhani murder case, after the witness retracted his earlier statement.

Recording his statement during the hearing at Karachi Central Jail, Rasheed claimed that Raheem Shah, whom he had previously identified as the person who shot political activist Ranjhani, did not commit the murder.

He told the court that he had received a call on February 6, 2019, to reach a location in Bhains Colony, where he saw an injured man, Ranjhani, lying on the ground and getting beaten by a crowd.

"I shifted him to the ambulance after the police arrived and drove him to Shah Latif Town police station on police's directives," he related, adding that upon reaching the police station, he was told to take Ranjhani and two police officials, to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. On the way to the hospital, he said, two men intercepted the ambulance and shot Ranjhani.

"However, neither of them was Shah," he clarified. "They were around 27 years to 28 years old and I can identify them by face."

Stating this, Rasheed insisted he was telling the truth and that was what should be included in the case record.

At this, the government lawyer prayed the court to declare Rasheed a hostile witness.

After hearing his arguments, however, the court said a ruling on the request would be issued at the next hearing on July 28.

According to the police, Rasheed, in his earlier statement recorded under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, had identified Shah as the attacker who shot Ranjhani.

Remanded

At another hearing, the court handed over two men accused in a case of extortion and illegal land occupation to the police on a six-day physical remand.

Presenting the accused before the court, the investigation officer (IO) informed the ATC that weapons had been found in their possession. He further told the court they had illegally occupied a plot in Surjani Town after they were denied payment of extortion money.

The IO moved the court to grant physical remand of the accused so that they may be interrogated about their accomplices and criminal records.

Accepting his request, the court sent the accused on a six-day physical remand.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2020.