Court slams police over investigation in Malir jailbreak case

KARACHI:

An anti-terrorism administrative court has issued a written order regarding the remand of 115 accused in the Malir jailbreak case, strongly criticizing the performance of jail authorities and the investigating officer.

In its detailed ruling, the court termed the escape of inmates a result of gross negligence and weakness on the part of the Malir Jail administration. It further declared the investigation conducted so far to be inadequate and unsatisfactory.

According to the written order, the investigating officer mentioned 118 accused in the case files, yet only 115 were produced in court, without providing any explanation for the discrepancy. The court noted that no legal basis or solid evidence was presented to justify the remand of the suspects.

The court also pointed out that no recoveries, evidence, witness statements, case diary, or medical reports of injured police personnel were submitted. Moreover, no jail record with verified signatures from jail authorities was brought forth regarding the custody of the accused. Interestingly, the investigating officer claimed that the inmates did not break out of jail, but rather escaped after a roof collapsed during an earthquake.