Court grants four-day remand of eight suspects in Lahore manhole tragedy

Police sought 14 days; TEPA officials among those remanded over alleged negligence

LAHORE:

A district and sessions court in Lahore on Saturday granted police a four-day physical remand of eight suspects in the case of a mother and her infant daughter who died after falling into an uncovered manhole at Bhati Gate.

Judicial Magistrate Shafqat Abbas announced the reserved verdict after hearing arguments from both sides. Police had sought a 14-day physical remand, but the court approved only four days.

Those presented in handcuffs included Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) Project Manager Asghar Sindhu, Ahmed Nawaz, Daniyal and five others.

The suspects’ counsel opposed the request for physical remand and presented a photocopy of a cheque before the court. “A very tragic incident occurred,” the counsel said, adding that Rs10 million had been given to the affected family in the form of a cheque on humanitarian grounds. The counsel further told the court that Rs120 million were available in a bank account for the victims’ family.

Read: CM Maryam orders arrests over mother, infant daughter's deaths in Lahore manhole

According to police and rescue authorities, Sadia and her infant daughter Rida Fatima fell into an uncovered manhole near Data Darbar, where development work was reportedly under way. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening at around 7:30pm.

Sadia’s body was recovered first from the sewerage system near Outfall Road, about three kilometres from the manhole. Rescue officials said the infant’s body was found after a 16-hour-long operation that continued through the night.

Following the incident, Bhati Gate police registered a case under Section 322 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Sajid Hussain, Sadia’s father. The FIR named TEPA Project Manager Asghar Sandhu, Safety In-charge Daniyal Shamil and Site In-charge Ahmed Nawaz, holding them responsible for alleged criminal negligence.

The complainant accused the officials of leaving the manhole uncovered, which he said directly led to the deaths.

The case initially triggered controversy after conflicting statements emerged, with some officials questioning whether bodies could travel through the sewerage system. Confusion deepened when a Punjab government spokesperson prematurely termed the incident “fake”, a statement later contradicted by rescue findings.

Scepticism further grew when family members accused Sadia’s husband of foul play, citing strained marital relations. Police detained the husband and others for questioning, but investigators later said forensic evidence, CCTV footage and rescue operation findings supported the conclusion that the deaths were accidental.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday ordered the dismissal and arrest of Project Director Zahid Hussain, Ahmed Nawaz, Daniyal and Asghar Sandhu.

Read More: Woman, child die as they fall into manhole in Lahore

She expressed a complete lack of confidence in the performance of all responsible departments and called for immediate accountability, holding the administration, the Lahore Development Authority, the Water and Sanitation Agency and other concerned officials responsible for gross negligence.

Inquiry finds police tortured victim's husband

Meanwhile, the Internal Accountability Branch has completed an inquiry into allegations of torture against Sadia's husband, Ghulam Murtaza, on the orders of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The inquiry, conducted by Additional IG Imran Mahmood, DIG Nasir Aziz Warraich and DIG Imran Kishor, found SP City Bilal and SHO Bhati Gate Zain guilty of subjecting Murtaza to physical abuse.

According to the inquiry report, the two officers took Murtaza from the scene to Bhati Gate police station without questioning other relatives who had accompanied him. They immediately called Sadia's father and made one relative, Tanveer, sit at the police station while they continued to torture Murtaza in the SHO's room.

Evidence was obtained from video footage of a camera installed in the SHO's room, the inquiry report said. Murtaza was kept in illegal detention for four hours and 45 minutes.

The inquiry team travelled to Shorkot and recorded Murtaza's statement, in which he said the police officers kept pressuring him to confess to killing his wife and daughter.

Also Read: Torture allegation surface in sewer incident

The report states that both officers mishandled the incident in an unprofessional manner and recommends departmental action against them. The SHO had been suspended after news of the torture was broadcast in the media.

In their statements to the inquiry, the accused officers said rescue and other departments had told them it was impossible for the woman to drown at the location. "Therefore, on suspicion, we took Ghulam Murtaza to the police station," they stated.

The inquiry report has been presented to the IG Punjab, who will forward it to the chief minister.

Fact-finding committee seeks more time

Separately, the fact-finding committee investigating the manhole incident has sought an additional 24 hours to complete its work. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered the committee to submit its report by 4pm on Sunday, February 1.

She directed the committee to determine responsibility in light of complete statements and facts. "No one will be spared; everyone will be held accountable," she said.