Another suspect gets bail in Usman Mirza case

Court orders submission of bonds worth Rs1 million

ISLAMABAD:

An Islamabad district and sessions court approved the post-arrest bail of a suspect in the Usman Mirza sexual assault case but rejected another suspect's application.

Additional and Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani gave the decision after the conclusion of arguments on the bail pleas of both suspects on Wednesday.

The court ordered suspect Rehan Hussain to submit bail bonds worth Rs1 million while Farhan Shaheen's plea was turned down.

Shaheen's lawyer argued that the case has been registered after six to seven months and maintained that his client had no role in the harassment.

Read Usman Mirza, co-accused sent to Adiala till Sept 10

Meanwhile, Hussain's lawyer said his client was neither nominated in the first information report (FIR) nor in the statement provided by the victims. He maintained that Hussain was associated with one of the suspects in the case because he was a Careem driver.

The petitioner's lawyer Hasan Javed Shorash further said that Shaheen was visible in the video and his name was mentioned in the FIR as well. The public prosecutor also claimed that Shaheen has a role in the whole act.

Earlier, only Usman Marwat was granted bail by the Islamabad high court. In the same case, the judicial magistrate has ordered the police to submit the challan by September 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2021.