Woman secures bail in murder, abduction case

IHC observes suspect was not named in the initial FIR

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted post-arrest bail to Mahnoor Shahid, a woman accused in a murder and abduction case, against surety bonds of Rs500,000.

Justice Shahrukh Arjumand issued the written order, observing that the accused was not named in the initial FIR and was subsequently nominated through a supplementary statement recorded by the complainant on May 5 during the investigation.

The court noted that under Section 497 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, granting bail to a woman is a general rule. It further observed that no direct or specific role in the murder had been attributed to the accused, making the case one requiring further inquiry.

A murder and abduction case was registered at Phulgran police station on May 4, 2026, over the alleged abduction and killing of Farukh Afzal.

According to complainant Chaudhry Afzal, unidentified men forcibly took his son, Farukh Afzal, away in a vehicle around midnight and opened fire while fleeing. The victim's mobile phone was also switched off after the incident.

The prosecution alleged that Mahnoor Shahid had planned the murder and arranged for the victim's abduction.