Lawyer found dead inside car at Rawalpindi Judicial Complex

SSP operations says investigation into cause of death is underway, situation will become clear after forensic

RAWALPINDI:

The discovery of the body of senior lawyer Sanaullah Satti Advocate in a car parked for nearly 24 hours at the highly sensitive Rawalpindi Judicial Complex has exposed serious shortcomings in the security arrangements at the complex and district courts.

The body of the senior lawyer, who was also known for his social welfare activities, was found in a car in the Lawyers Club parking area on Wednesday morning after a strong foul smell spread through the premises.

The parking area, where the body was found, is located in front of the Lawyers Club and behind the courts of additional district and sessions judges. Benches for litigants are also installed in the parking areas.

According to police, the lawyer's face and eyes appeared swollen, while blood stains were also found on his face and clothing. However, authorities said it could not immediately be determined whether he had died as a result of violence or another cause.

Questions remain unanswered as to whether the lawyer was assaulted, when and where he died, whether his body was placed in the car or whether he died after consuming poisonous food.

At around 10am on Wednesday, litigants, court staff and police personnel checking vehicles after the foul smell spread reached the Lawyers Club parking area, where they found the body in a white car. Blood was reportedly continuing to flow from the body.

Police cordoned off the area after receiving information about the body and called in forensic experts. Evidence was collected from the vehicle and surrounding area before the body was taken to a hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Initial investigations showed that the vehicle in which the body was found had entered the Judicial Complex through its main entrance on Tuesday morning and had not left the premises afterwards.

Questions remain unanswered as to whether the lawyer was assaulted, when and where he died, whether his body was placed in the car or whether he died after consuming poisonous food.

No CCTV camera could provide any information about the incident, according to the report.

The deceased lawyer’s wife and three brothers are also senior lawyers. SHO of the Civil Lines police station took CCTV footage from the relevant areas of the Judicial Complex into custody. His brother, Barrister Sajjad Satti, also submitted a formal application to the police.

Following construction of the court overhead bridge, the two main entry points to the courts reportedly have no gates. Walk-through gates are non-functional, while half of the CCTV cameras installed at the courts and Judicial Complex are also out of order.

Police are deployed at the Judicial Complex and courts in three shifts, but their strength has reportedly been reduced by 50pc. The walk-through gates being non-functional has also been revealed.

District Bar Association President Malik Sajid Tariq Awan said it was a major security lapse. He said he remained at the court office until 10am but had not been informed about the incident by the police.

He said the bar had taken serious notice of the security lapse and there would be zero tolerance regarding security matters in future. The bar would directly approach the deputy commissioner and City Police Officer on the issue.

In a separate account, police said the body of the lawyer was found in the driver’s seat of a car parked outside the Lawyers Club in the Judicial Complex area of the Civil Lines police station.

The face and eyes of the deceased appeared swollen, and blood stains were also found. Police and forensic experts cordoned off the scene and collected evidence.

According to police, the car in which the body was found had entered the Judicial Complex through the main entrance on Tuesday morning and did not leave afterwards.

SSP Operations Rawalpindi Malik Tariq Mehboob said apparently the lawyer had himself driven the car into the Judicial Complex, but it was too early to say anything conclusively about the cause of death.

He said police and forensic experts were conducting their respective investigations, while CCTV footage was also being collected.

The SSP said the cause of death would become clear after the investigation and forensic reports. Further details would be shared once they emerged.