Shahzeb Khan’s murder: Suspects blame IO for making up a case against them

Defence lawyer demands lab re-examine the weapons used in the crime.

KARACHI: The suspects accused of killing Shahzeb Khan, 20, pleaded not guilty and blamed the investigating officer for making up a case against them.

At an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) hearing on Tuesday, Shahrukh Jatoi, Nawab Siraj Ali Talpur, his younger brother Nawab Sajjad Ali Talpur and a servant, Ghulam Murtaza Lashari, recorded their statements before the judge, Ghulam Mustafa Memon.

All the suspects said they were not guilty, said in-charge deputy district public prosecutor DDPP for the state, Abdul Maroof. According to him, the suspects told the court that the investigating officer built up the case against them to show off his performance to his officials.

The suspects said that the case was frivolous and they have no connection with it. They denied that the police neither found any weapons on them nor were they involved in any crime. They also said that they did not point out the place of the alleged shooting and denied accusations that they had any role to play in the recovery of the car used in the crime, said Maroof.

Meanwhile, the suspects’ lawyers asked the court to allow them to bring 10 witnesses in their defence. The witnesses will be presented before the court starting next hearing on May 2.

The counsels also requested the court to re-examine the weapon used in the crime by the forensic lab. Maroof argued, however, that the report of chemical examiner was enough and sending the weapon for re-examination only meant to delay the case further. The court will decide at the next hearing whether or not the weapon needs to be sent for re-examination.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2013.