Manhole victims' family in Punjab declines to pursue case

Court approves bail of five suspects after complainant's statement

LAHORE:

A court has granted bail to five suspects in a case pertaining to the death of a woman and her infant daughter after falling into an open manhole near Bhati Gate last month.

The decision came after the complainant sought no further legal proceedings against those nominated in the case.

The 24-year-old victim Sadia and her 10-month-old daughter Rida had fallen into the manhole near the Data Darbar expansion project site.

Magistrate Shafqat Abbas presided over the proceedings after police presented the suspects before the court on the expiry of their physical remand.

Project Manager Asghar Sandhu, the contractor company's CEO Salman Yasin, Site In'charge Hunzala, Ahmed Nawaz and Daniyal had been nominated in the case.

The deceased woman's father Sajid Hussain and husband Murtaza, the complainant, also appeared before the court.

They told the court that they did not want to pursue further legal action against the suspects and had no objection to their acquittal or discharge from the case.

In light of the complainant's statement, the magistrate approved the post-arrest bail applications of the suspects and directed them to furnish surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.

In the previous hearing, the defence counsel had told the court that the company's owner had surrendered to the police and presented a cheque of Rs10 million for the aggrieved family.