Behind bars: Teacher accused of kidnapping denied bail

Bail plea of Afghan national allegedly involved in grenade attack on NGO also turned down.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday denied bail to a schoolteacher from Karak district allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a student, while two other accomplices in the incident were granted bail.

A single-member bench of Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk was informed by the state’s counsel, Mehwish Mukhtar, that three people were involved in the kidnapping of a student – teacher Shagufta Naz, Saifur Rehman and Farah Deba.

The lawyer added these three were accused of kidnapping sixth grader Muhammad Saeed. The abducted student was later recovered by the police after they raided Saif’s house.

Mukhtar also told the court that the student had informed the police after his recovery that he recognised the schoolteacher, however, he could not identify the other two because their faces were covered.



After hearing preliminary arguments, the court granted bail to the owner of the house and Farah Deba, who is also the schoolteacher’s sister. However, the court refused bail to Shagufta Naz and directed that she be held behind bars for the duration of the case.

In another case, Justice Nisar Hussain Khan turned down the bail plea of an Afghan citizen allegedly involved in a grenade attack on a guest house used by a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Petitioner Hamid’s counsel informed the court his client is an Afghan citizen and was residing in Peshawar as he was enrolled in the FA programme at Jamaluddin Afghani School. To afford tuition and other expenses, the accused was also doing a part-time job in a hotel, said his counsel.

The lawyer said that on November 5, father of the accused had filed a report at the police station alleging his son had been missing for a few days. However, the police replied on November 12 saying the accused was involved in hurling a grenade at the NGO building.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2013.