Usman Mirza’s remand extended

Judge orders IO to produce suspects at next hearing on July 20

ISLAMABAD:

A district and sessions judge on Saturday extended the physical remand of Usman Mirza and his four accomplices for another three days in a case involving the torture and sexual assault of a couple in E-11 sector of Islamabad.

After granting the physical remand, Judicial Magistrate Waqar Gondal directed the investigation officer to produce the suspects before the court at the next hearing on Tuesday.

The suspects, Usman Mirza, Ataur Rehman, Farhan and Qayyum Butt were produced before the court on Saturday after the completion of their four-day physical remand.

When the court took up the matter, police sought further physical remand of the suspects, contending that more clues were being gathered against the suspects and their hiding accomplices.

Lawyers of the suspects opposed extension in the physical remand, demanding to send their client on judicial remand.

Public Prosecutors Javed Ata and Sajid Cheema, couple’s lawyer Hassan Javed Shorish, Mirza’s lawyer Mian Zafar Iqbal and Farhan’s lawyer Malik Akhlaq Awan appeared before the court

Updating the court about the so-far investigation in the case, the public prosecutor said that a sum of Rs6,000 was recovered from the house of Qayyum Butt which has been minted from victim Asad before the incident had come to the light.

He told the court that Asad’s house is in Dhok Chaudhrian in Rawalpindi and the accused blackmailed him by showing him the video and collected money in return now and then. The prosecutor said that the blackmailers used to send an “employee” to Asad’s house to collect money from him and they had received Rs1.12 million from him and shared it among themselves.

The prosecutor said that the police were yet to arrest that employee with the help of the arrested suspects.

Upon this, Judicial Magistrate Waqar Gondal asked the prime suspect, Usman Mirza, if he had an employee who was being referred to by the public prosecutor.

Read Police conduct identification parade in Usman Mirza case

Mirza replied in negation saying that he has no such an employee. The prime suspect told the court that he had not taken or received a single penny from anyone.

He said that the court called the victim and ask him to swear by the holy Quran to find out that he had ever contacted them (couple) after the incident or taken any money from them as he already runs a business worth millions of rupees.

The prime suspect said that he called the victims on the first day of the incident to extend his apologies.

He claimed the couple accepted it was their fault to visit his place.

The public prosecutor said that the audio sample and videogrammetry of the clip, which Rehan was making, was needed to be carried out, therefore, further physical remand of the suspects was required.

The prime suspect’s lawyer told the court that the police had already availed a nine-day physical remand of one suspect and a ten-day physical remand of three other suspects. Therefore, the court should either dismiss the plea seeking the physical remand of the suspects and they should be sent on judicial remand.

The public prosecutor told the court that Farhan, Rehman and Butt stripped the victims and forced them to indulge in physical intercourse, threatening them to rape them in case they refused.

The victims’ lawyer told the court that the police had found many things that had not come to light earlier, including the fact that the video was two-and-a-half hours long. Therefore, he argued, that the case should be investigated on merit and everyone who had a role in the crime should be brought to justice.

The lawyer also seconded the police request for the physical remand of the suspects.

During the hearing, Mirza’s lawyer asked the prosecutor how long it will take for the geo-fencing of the scene where the couple had been harassed. To which, the public prosecutor said that it will be done by Monday.

One of the suspects also alleged that the investigator Shafqat insulted him and threatened to teach him a lesson.

Mirza’s lawyer also complained that his client could not meet his family nor being allowed to change his clothes or take a bath.

The lawyer asked the court to issue orders to arrange a meeting between him and his family on the occasion of Eidul Azha.

The public prosecutor said that they will let the suspect meet his family and will also allow him to take a bath and change the dress.

The court, while granting a further three-day physical remand of the suspects, directed the investigation officer and the prosecutor to produce them before the court at the next hearing on July 20.

Meanwhile, the two suspects, Bilal Marwat and Mohib Bangash, who had been sent to jail for identification parade, were identified by the victims on Friday. After which, they both were arrested and being investigated.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2021.