Physical remand of Ayaz Amir, son extended

Main suspect’s mother gets bail against surety bonds of Rs50,000

ISLAMABAD:

A local court on Monday extended the physical remand of the main suspect in the Sara Inam murder case, Shahnawaz Amir, and his father Ayaz Amir, who has been nominated in the FIR by the victim’s family.

When Judicial Magistrate Amir Aziz Khan took up the case for hearing, police presented Shahnawaz Amir and Ayaz Amir in court.

Shahnawaz Amir was arrested last week for allegedly killing his wife, a Canadian national, at a farmhouse located in Chak Shahzad where the suspect lived along with his mother.

The investigating officer (IO) told the court that the deceased's uncle has nominated Ayaz Amir in the murder case. The IO said that the complainant in his statement said that Ayaz Amir was also involved in a “conspiracy” that led to the murder. The police officer told the court that Ayaz Amir had kept secret the marriage of his son Shahnawaz with Sara Inam.

The Islamabad police inspector-general police counsel told the court that though Ayaz Amir was in Chakwal on the day of the incident, “his very role starts when the victim girl tied the knot with his son three months ago”. He told the court that the victim’s parents will also reach Islamabad in a day or so and they may have some evidence too against the suspect(s).

During the hearing, Ayaz Amir took the stance that he was in Chakwal when he came to know about the incident on the phone. “I immediately called the Islamabad police IG and the SP Islamabad (rural),” he told the court adding that “I was worried that nobody should be injured in the incident".

He said that he also told the SHO about the route that led to the farmhouse where the incident had happened. “Evidence should be produced against me as I am accused in the case. There is nothing against me in this case. The police registered a case against me and I recorded my statement to the police yesterday,” Ayaz Amir told the court adding that the police had asked nothing more from him since he recorded his statement yesterday.

The police requested a seven-day physical remand of the accused for the investigation in the Sara Inam murder case, however, the court extended one day of physical remand of Ayaz Amir and three-day physical remand of Shahnawaz.

Separately, Additional Sessions Judge Sheikh Sohail granted three-day interim bail to Shahnawaz’s mother, Sameena Shah, three-day bail against surety bonds of Rs50,000 and barred the police from arresting her.

The accused took the stance that she has been nominated in the case by the deceased's uncle. She said that she has been a resident of the farmhouse for several years, where the incident took place. Sameena Shah through her counsel told the court that Shahnawaz Amir sent her a message on WhatsApp at 12:37pm, telling her to talk to Sara's father to arrange the rukhsati.

She further said she slept after receiving the message but the next morning at 9:12am, Shahnawaz informed her about the (murder) incident.

Sameena told the court that she rushed to Shahnawaz’s room and by the time she reached the room, Sarah had already died.

“The petitioner asked Shahnawaz to sit in her room while Ayaz Amir had called the police and within a few minutes, the police reached the spot and arrested Shahnawaz.

Sameena termed the FIR “false and frivolous” and stated that she had no connection with the case or the murder. She said that she has nothing to do with the murder incident and she has been suffering from health problems, seeking bail in the case.

After hearing the petition, the court granted bail to the accused against surety bonds of Rs50,000. The court, however, directed her to be part of the investigation.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2022.