Sarim Burney's bail application rejected in child trafficking case

FIA prosecutor accuses the activist of 'lying continuously' during the investigation

KARACHI:

The Karachi City Court on Monday denied the bail application of activist Sarim Burney, who is accused of illegally sending children abroad and engaging in child trafficking.

Judicial Magistrate East announced that the court had reserved its decision on Burney’s bail application in the pending human trafficking case after hearing the arguments from both sides.

The FIA prosecutor argued that more evidence was needed to be collected and that granting bail to the accused would result in tampering with evidence. He also stated that the accused had been lying continuously and that further revelations came to light during the investigation.

The mother of a victim stated that when she contacted Sarim Burney to get her daughter back, he refused to hand over the child. The prosecutor argued that granting bail to the accused would influence the investigation.

After the hearing, defence lawyer and Karachi Bar President Amir Nawaz Warraich told the media that they have not yet received the written decision but are not satisfied with the verdict.

He claimed that the case was clear, with the children mentioned present in court, and there were no direct complainants or any complaints in the matter. He expressed that, under the circumstances, the bail should not have been denied

Read Child trafficking probe: Karachi Court sends Sarim Burney to judicial remand, denies FIA extension

Previously, a local court granted a two-day physical remand of Sarim Burney to the Federal Investigations Agency (FIA) on June 6.

Investigation officer Chaudhary Bilal had earlier requested a 14-day physical remand for the activist on the basis that it was necessary to gather evidence and apprehend any other alleged accomplices of Burney after obtaining his statement.

He expressed concerns that failing to do so may deter justice as the possibility of evidence being tampered or destroyed was high if the FIA did not have to obtain custody of the accused.

However, an extension of the physical remand was denied with the FIA being given custody of the accused for only two days. The court further instructed the FIA to produce a progress report for the ongoing case.

FIA alleges that renowned social worker was detained on charges related to human trafficking, including smuggling and illegally sending more than 25 children to the US for adoption, following a complaint filed by American authorities against his Sarim Burney Welfare Trust on the charges of fraud and fasifying documents.

As a result of these accusations, an investigation into the social worker's activities involving the smuggling of children to the US was initiated.