LHC grants security bail to Dua Zehra’s husband

Counsel says IO re-investigating case, fears Zaheer will be arrested

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) granted bail to Dua Zehra's husband Zaheer Ahmed till July 14, on Thursday.

Justice Alia Neelam of the LHC heard the bail application of Zaheer, who Dua allegedly married in Lahore after disappearing from her home in Karachi.

The high court, while ruling on the bail application, restrained the police from arresting Zaheer.

The court questioned the petitioner's counsel as to when the First Information Report (FIR) was registered. The counsel replied that the FIR was registered on April 16.

The court further questioned why a bail application was filed only now. “How did you know the police wanted to arrest him?” the judge asked.

Read Dua Zehra can decide who she wants to live with, rules SHC

The lawyer argued that the investigating officer (IO) of the case had stated that the matter would be re-opened. “Hence, it is feared that the police will make an arrest. The court should grant security bail so that interim bail can be obtained from the concerned court,” the counsellor added.

The court has granted security bail to Zaheer Ahmed till July 14.

Earlier, District East Judicial Magistrate directed the investigation officer (IO) in the case of alleged kidnapping of Dua Zehra to present the Call Data Record (CDR) and supplementary challan of accused Zaheer.

The case of alleged abduction was heard in the Karachi City Court before the court of Judicial Magistrate Sharqi Aftab Ahmed Baghio.

Plaintiff's counsel argued that the C-Class challan was rejected after the re-investigation order. The accused came to the police but the police did not arrest him. "Dua was repeatedly forced to tell a lie, at whose instructions did the girl do this? Who will be responsible if the accused leaves the country tomorrow?"

Subsequent to Dua Zehra’s medical examination on July 3, in which a court appointed medical board concluded that the teen was between 15-16 years old, Dua Zehra's father, Syed Mehdi Ali Kazmi filed a new petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking his daughter's recovery from what he says are ‘kidnappers’ who illegally lured a child into marriage.

The petition states that Zaheer Ahmed abducted Dua Zehra and at that time the girl’s age was 13 years, 11 months and 19 days.

Kazmi presented Dua's NADRA documents, educational certificates, passport and birth certificate to prove her proper age.

The petition further stated that Zaheer Ahmed took the abductee to Punjab and married her despite her being a child. The date of marriage is April 17, and Dua's mentioned age is 18 years to declare the marriage valid.