Caught at last: Siraj Talpur to spend 10 days in police custody
Anti-Terrorism Court gives police time to submit charge-sheet.
Policemen escort one of the prime suspects in the Shahzeb Khan murder case, Siraj Talpur, from the Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday. Siraj was arrested on the Dadu-Moro bridge in Naushero Feroze last Saturday. The police had also arrested his brother, Sajjad Talpur. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Nawab Siraj Talpur, one of the prime suspects in Shahzeb Khan’s murder case, has been remanded into police custody for 10 days.
On Monday, Anti-Terrorism Court-III judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon granted the physical remand of Siraj, 22, his 21-year-old brother, Nawab Sajjad Talpur, and their 23-year-old cook, Ghulam Murtaza Lashari, until January 16.
The Talpur brothers are among the prime suspects in Shahzeb Khan’s murder. Shahzeb was killed allegedly by Siraj’s friend, Shahrukh Jatoi, after a petty argument on December 25.
The Darakhshan police registered a case (591/2012) under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim’s father. Shahrukh Jatoi, the Talpur brothers and nine more unidentified suspects, including the Talpurs’ cook, were nominated in the FIR.
As the law enforcers failed to arrest the killers - and reports suggesting Shahrukh Jatoi had fled abroad, crowds took to the streets seeking justice for the victim’s family. On January 1, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, while taking suo motu notice, ordered the Sindh police chief to track down the killers within 24 hours. After the court order, the police arrested 10 of the nominated accused from different cities.
On Monday, the police were finally able to produce the three main suspects in an anti-terrorism court. They were brought to the court in two armoured personnel carriers escorted by a police van.
Inside the courtroom, the additional supervisory investigation officer, Waseem Ahmed, submitted that abetment, common intention and terrorism were included in the FIR after recording the statements of Shahzeb Khan’s father, his relatives and eyewitnesses. Sections 354, 109 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 were added to the case.
The officer said the police needed the physical custody of the alleged accused for 15 more days to complete all the legal formalities. “The police have to arrest more people on the information provided by the men arrested,” the officer told the judge. “The murder weapon has yet to be recovered. The investigators have to record the statements of witnesses under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code; verify the suspects’ criminal record; and parade them for identification before the magistrate,” he elaborated.
However, the judge, turning down the request, allowed the physical custody of the accused for 10 days.
The judge also directed the case investigation officer to complete the investigation and submit the charge-sheet within the stipulated period.
In another development, Aftab Jatoi was also booked by Dadu police under abetment charges.
The suspect allegedly provided shelter to the three men on the request of their relative Azam Bhugiyo. A case under Section 109 of the PPC was lodged with the A-Section police station, Dadu.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2013.
Nawab Siraj Talpur, one of the prime suspects in Shahzeb Khan’s murder case, has been remanded into police custody for 10 days.
On Monday, Anti-Terrorism Court-III judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon granted the physical remand of Siraj, 22, his 21-year-old brother, Nawab Sajjad Talpur, and their 23-year-old cook, Ghulam Murtaza Lashari, until January 16.
The Talpur brothers are among the prime suspects in Shahzeb Khan’s murder. Shahzeb was killed allegedly by Siraj’s friend, Shahrukh Jatoi, after a petty argument on December 25.
The Darakhshan police registered a case (591/2012) under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim’s father. Shahrukh Jatoi, the Talpur brothers and nine more unidentified suspects, including the Talpurs’ cook, were nominated in the FIR.
As the law enforcers failed to arrest the killers - and reports suggesting Shahrukh Jatoi had fled abroad, crowds took to the streets seeking justice for the victim’s family. On January 1, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, while taking suo motu notice, ordered the Sindh police chief to track down the killers within 24 hours. After the court order, the police arrested 10 of the nominated accused from different cities.
On Monday, the police were finally able to produce the three main suspects in an anti-terrorism court. They were brought to the court in two armoured personnel carriers escorted by a police van.
Inside the courtroom, the additional supervisory investigation officer, Waseem Ahmed, submitted that abetment, common intention and terrorism were included in the FIR after recording the statements of Shahzeb Khan’s father, his relatives and eyewitnesses. Sections 354, 109 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 were added to the case.
The officer said the police needed the physical custody of the alleged accused for 15 more days to complete all the legal formalities. “The police have to arrest more people on the information provided by the men arrested,” the officer told the judge. “The murder weapon has yet to be recovered. The investigators have to record the statements of witnesses under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code; verify the suspects’ criminal record; and parade them for identification before the magistrate,” he elaborated.
However, the judge, turning down the request, allowed the physical custody of the accused for 10 days.
The judge also directed the case investigation officer to complete the investigation and submit the charge-sheet within the stipulated period.
In another development, Aftab Jatoi was also booked by Dadu police under abetment charges.
The suspect allegedly provided shelter to the three men on the request of their relative Azam Bhugiyo. A case under Section 109 of the PPC was lodged with the A-Section police station, Dadu.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2013.