Innocent until proven guilty: Court sets two men free on bail

KARACHI: A man was granted bail on Wednesday after the complainant’s wife submitted an affidavit in the Malir court, stating that the accused was not involved in the robbery at her house.

The 3rd additional district and sessions judge, Farzana Iqbal, granted bail to Saqib alias Gama who was arrested by the police under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code that deal with voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery and common intention.

The complainant, Yasin, a resident of Sikandar Goth, stated in the FIR that Gama and his three absconding accomplices, Iftikhar, Sarwar, and Abdullah, broke into his house while he was at his clinic.

The accused reportedly beat Yasin’s wife and took away her jewellery. His wife, however, said that Gama was not involved in the robbery and was registered in the FIR due to a “misunderstanding”.

The judge set the bail at Rs50,000.

The same judge granted bail to Zohaib Ali who was facing charges of firing at a police team.

Ali and his accomplice were accused of firing at sub-inspector Aijaz Ahmed Baloch, in charge at the Bhittaiabad police check post, and two other policemen.

The police reportedly asked the two men to stop their motorcycle, but the suspects reportedly opened fire to escape. Later, they were arrested and their weapons were seized. The bail was set at Rs50,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2012.