Court extends accused’s remand in Arzoo case

A local court extended the physical remand of Syed Azhar Ali - accused of abducting, forcibly converting and marrying an underage Christian girl - by two days on Tuesday. The South judicial magistrate heard teenager Arzoo Masih's case.

The police produced Azhar before the court and requested extension of physical remand till November 16. The investigation officer told the court that Azhar was tested for the coronavirus and the results will come in two days. He told the court that the four others, accused in the case, including the cleric who solemnised the marriage and witnesses to the marriage, are on the run, and two other accused have obtained bail.

During the hearing, the government lawyer said that the Sindh High Court has ordered the arrests of the accused on the run.

The court extended Azhar's physical remand till November 12 and sought a progress report from the police at the next hearing.

At the previous hearing, the local court had sought an update from the IO on the DNA tests of Azhar and the government lawyer had maintained that DNA samples were to be sent to Hyderabad for testing.

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court has directed the police to proceed under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, after a medical board assessed her to be aged between 14 to 15 years. According to Arzoo's B-form, verified by NADRA, she is 13-years-old while accused Azhar is reportedly 44-years-old.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2020.