Murder of IGP’s daughter-in-law: PHC disposes bail cancellation of Wahida’s alleged murderer

CJ Dost Muhammad instructs lawyer to approach lower court with fresh grounds.

PESHAWAR: A petition seeking the cancellation of Darya Khan’s bail was disposed of by the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday. Darya has been accused of murdering his daughter Wahida, the daughter-in-law of former IGP Islamabad Bani Amin.

A single-member bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan heard the petition filed by Darya’s wife Zahida Bibi through her counsel Shah Faisal Utamankhel.

The lawyer told the court the deceased’s father Darya Khan and brother Khalid Khan hatched a conspiracy to kill the petitioner’s daughter Wahida. Utamankhel further said the court had earlier granted bail to Darya through an agreement in which he reportedly provided some evidence during investigation. In reality, the lawyer claimed, there is no such agreement between the accused and other family members of the deceased, therefore, his bail should be cancelled.

Upon hearing Utamankhel’s arguments, the court disposed of the petition and told Uthmankhel to approach the lower court to get the bail cancellation application accepted and to file a new application on fresh grounds.

On September 30, the PHC accepted the bail application of another accused, Fauzia Khalid, the wife of Khalid Khan, Wahida’s brother. However, her husband’s application was rejected and he was refused bail.

During the hearing on September 30, the court was informed Wahida was killed on May 19 and was found dead in University Town

The court had also ordered departmental action be taken against all police officials investigating the case for their incompetency in properly dealing with it on the day of the murder. The police did not register an FIR at the University Town police station the day Wahida was found dead.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2013.