Mansoor Mujahid case: District judge accepts case transfer request

The case has been transferred as the judge has family relations with the Mujahid's counsel.

KARACHI: A district and sessions court on Monday accepted a reference sent by a judge seeking transfer of the Faisal Nabi murder case involving a film director and others to another court.

The district and sessions judge, South, Ahmed Saba, while accepting the reference transferred the case to the additional district and sessions judge, Shahid Hussain Chandio.

An award-winning filmmaker of Seedlings [Lamha] film, Mansoor Mujahid, had been arrested for allegedly killing his friend Faisal Nabi in an apartment in Zamzama, Defence Housing Authority, on the night of June 19. The suspect's friend, Anab Hameed, and the deceased's companion Masuma Zainab Abidi were also detained for allegedly helping in the murder.



The case was pending before the additional district and sessions judge, South, Sohail Jabbar Malik, and he sent a reference to the district and sessions court requesting the transfer of the case to any other court for trial. Judge Ahmed Saba accepted the reference and transferred the case to another judge with directions to conduct the trial.

In his reference, the judge while requesting the transfer of the case said the proceedings can be affected as he has family relations with the former prosecutor general of Sindh, Shahadat Awan, who is representing Mujahid as a counsel in the case. The judge said the case be transferred to any other court as any lawyer appearing before the court in the case can raise an objection against it.



On previous hearing, the court had ordered an absconder to appear before the court in person after he filed an application through his lawyer requesting court to declare him innocent in the case. But the absconder, Waseem, as well as his lawyer did not appear despite the court's order.

In his application, while requesting the court to declare him clear from the case, Waseem stated that he has no connection with the case and had no role in it.

The court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrants for Waseem after the police had declared him an absconder. Earlier, the police had told the court that Waseem has important details about the incident, which the police cannot share until he is arrested. Waseem was the driver of one of the suspects, said a counsel for the complainant, adding that he was unaware of the driver's exact role in the case.

On the complaint of the victim's brother-in-law, Nayal Khan, the police registered an FIR No. 191/2013 under section 302/34 for murder at Clifton police station. The police have also registered another FIR, No. 192/2013, under section 13E A-1 against Mujahid for possessing an illegal weapon.

The court adjourned the case till January 15.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2013.