‘Ethnic clashes’: Court dismisses bail plea of suspects who set bus ablaze
Armed men set the bus on fire on Aug 13, 2011, near KPT Fire Brigade Office.
Armed men set the bus on fire on Aug 13, 2011, near KPT Fire Brigade Office. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court has dismissed the bail application of three suspects charged with setting a passenger bus on fire that resulted in the death of a man in 2011. The incident is believed to be a case of tit-for-tat ethnic clashes in the city.
The prosecution alleged that 16 to 17 armed men had intercepted a W-11 route passenger coach near KPT Fire Brigade Office and after throwing petrol over some of the passengers, they set the bus ablaze on August 13, 2011. The accused also opened fire on policemen with the intention to kill them, he added. Some of the passengers had sustained injuries while one man died on the spot.
Jackson police had arrested four suspects - Muhammad Shafi, Ramzan Jadoon, Khaksar and Saleem. The trial dismissed their bail application on August 15, 2012, after the investigating official filed a final report in the court.
Muhammad Ashraf Kazi, the lawyer representing the suspects, contended that the evidence of 18 witnesses has been recorded who did not implicate his clients in the alleged offence.
He said the case is now fixed for framing amended charge against the suspects, who have been behind bars since the day of the incident.
State prosecutor Imtiaz Ali Jalbani opposed the bail pleas, arguing that the applicants were arrested on the spot by the police, who had also recovered a TT pistol from their possession. “Though the evidence of a number of the witnesses has been recorded, the material evidence is the statements of the police officials who arrested the suspects,” he argued.
The prosecutor contended the suspects are not entitled to bail and pleaded to the court to dismiss their bail pleas.
Justice Ghulam Sarwar Korai observed, “In the case, a man has lost his life and some of the passengers sustained injuries. In addition, the vehicle of the complainant was burnt by the applicants and their associates without any fault.”
The two-judge bench observed that applicants are not entitled to be released on bail and dismissed their applications, directing the trial court to conclude the trial preferably within five months from the date of the order.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2013.
The Sindh High Court has dismissed the bail application of three suspects charged with setting a passenger bus on fire that resulted in the death of a man in 2011. The incident is believed to be a case of tit-for-tat ethnic clashes in the city.
The prosecution alleged that 16 to 17 armed men had intercepted a W-11 route passenger coach near KPT Fire Brigade Office and after throwing petrol over some of the passengers, they set the bus ablaze on August 13, 2011. The accused also opened fire on policemen with the intention to kill them, he added. Some of the passengers had sustained injuries while one man died on the spot.
Jackson police had arrested four suspects - Muhammad Shafi, Ramzan Jadoon, Khaksar and Saleem. The trial dismissed their bail application on August 15, 2012, after the investigating official filed a final report in the court.
Muhammad Ashraf Kazi, the lawyer representing the suspects, contended that the evidence of 18 witnesses has been recorded who did not implicate his clients in the alleged offence.
He said the case is now fixed for framing amended charge against the suspects, who have been behind bars since the day of the incident.
State prosecutor Imtiaz Ali Jalbani opposed the bail pleas, arguing that the applicants were arrested on the spot by the police, who had also recovered a TT pistol from their possession. “Though the evidence of a number of the witnesses has been recorded, the material evidence is the statements of the police officials who arrested the suspects,” he argued.
The prosecutor contended the suspects are not entitled to bail and pleaded to the court to dismiss their bail pleas.
Justice Ghulam Sarwar Korai observed, “In the case, a man has lost his life and some of the passengers sustained injuries. In addition, the vehicle of the complainant was burnt by the applicants and their associates without any fault.”
The two-judge bench observed that applicants are not entitled to be released on bail and dismissed their applications, directing the trial court to conclude the trial preferably within five months from the date of the order.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2013.