Robbery suspect: Police record sought in bail application

LAHORE: Lahore. A judicial magistrate on Monday summoned police record from two police stations of a student allegedly implicated in 16 robbery cases by January 15. He issued the orders at a bail application hearing. Hamza Zaib, student of I.Com, was arrested for 16 theft cases. Stolen cash and worth of valuables in these cases amounted to Rs1.5 million.

Zaib had applied for 16 bails. The court granted him bail in 10 cases; three bail applications were dismissed and three bails are pending. Zaib’s counsel told the court his client was a student implicated in false cases. He said Wahdat Colony police had kept his client in illegal detention. He said a bailiff was deputed to recover him on a habeas corpus petition. He said the bailiff went to Wahdat Colony police on June 17, 2013. He said police told Zaib to inform the bailiff that he was there on personal business, not in detention. He said after the bailiff left, Zaib was still kept in detention and 16 cases were lodged against him. Zaib said that the police had implicated him in false cases as when he refused to pay bribe. He said he came from a poor family and was pursuing his studies. He requested the court to order the police to release him as he was innocent.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2014.