Court extends interim pre-arrest bail of four men

The men allegedly helped prime suspect, Shahrukh Jatoi, leave the country as a ghost passenger.

KARACHI: A district and sessions court extended the interim pre-arrest bail of four men on Wednesday, who were allegedly involved in Shahrukh Jatoi’s escape from Pakistan as a ghost passenger.

Directors of Fazal-e-Rabbi (Pvt) Ltd, Muhammad Abu Bakar Dochki and Muhammad Omer Dochki, a supervisor at Gerry’s Danata, Syed Salman Shah, and a passenger services assistant, Wasi Akhtar, were granted interim pre-arrest bail by the district and sessions judge, Malir, Muhammad Yamin.

The prime suspect, Shahrukh Jatoi, in the murder case of Shahzeb Khan, had slipped away from the country to evade arrest after the murder and was brought back by the police after he was deported from Dubai.

Investigations into the case revealed that Shahrukh, in active connivance and abetment of suspects, Nawab Ali Jatoi, Muhammad Khurram, Muhammad Taha Hussain, Wasi Akhtar, Mahmood Sultan, Muhammad Abu Bakar Dochki, Muhammad Omer Dochki, Syed Salman Shah and Sohail Ahmed, have committed the offence under section 419/109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with sections 3/4 and 6(1) of Passport Act, 1974.

The judge extended bail till April 24.

ATC dismisses defence’s plea

The Anti-Terrorism Court III dismissed the plea of the defence lawyer in the Shahzeb Khan murder case on Wednesday, for recording statements of the chemical examiner before recording testimonies of the police official who first investigated the Shahzeb murder case.

“I found no legal justification to allow the instant application which has been filed with the sole purpose to delay the disposal of the case,” observed the judge, Ghulam Mustafa Memon, of the ATC-III, while dismissing the plea.

The counsel for Shahrukh Jatoi, Amir Mansoob, had stated in the application that the examination findings of the expert of Forensic Science Lab (FSL) department should be recorded before the evidence of the sub-inspector, Nafees Ahmed.

Following the dismissal, the first investigating officer, Nafees Ahmed, recorded his statement, saying that he had informed the immigration authorities about the possible escape of the suspect from Pakistan and delivered Shahzeb’s clothes for examination.

Ahmed stated that he had delivered nine empties, two live bullets along with a report in sealed condition to the forensic lab. He  resubmitted the spent bullet casing and live bullets to the lab for matching the same with the pistol found in possession of the accused, Shahrukh, on the directions of the second investigating officer Mubeen on January 28, 2013.

Following the statement, the counsels for the suspects filed adjournment application requesting for time to prepare themselves to cross examine the witness. The application was allowed and hearing was put off till today [Thursday].

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2013.