Kot Radha Kishan case: SC summons prosecutor, investigator in lynching case
Dissatisfied with Punjab police report into gruesome killing
Dissatisfied with Punjab police report into gruesome killing. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by IG Punjab regarding the gruesome killing of a Christian couple in Kot Radha Kishan in Kasur district, summoning the investigation officer and prosecutors along with detailed report on March 9.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed hearing into the suo motu case regarding the Kot Radha Krishan incident. On November 4, 2014, a mob of more than 400 people had tortured to death Sajjad Masih and his wife Shama Bibi – kiln workers from Chak 59 in Kot Radha Kishan – after accusing them of desecrating the Holy Quran.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General Punjab Razaq A Mirza informed the bench that a joint investigation team has submitted an inquiry report of the case. According to it, two years were reduced from the service of sub-inspector Muhammad Ali for showing negligence and carelessness, while ASI Abdur Rashid was sacked from police department.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed remarked that two persons were burnt alive and the authorities only deducted two years from the service of in-charge police check-post and terminated the service of ASI with all benefits. “Due to this tragic incident, Pakistan has been criticised in the whole world,” he said.
The DPO Kasur presented the report, wherein it was stated that out of 81 accused nominated, 59 have been arrested and the challan of case has been filed in the trial court. The report also stated that raids have been conducted for the arrest of rest of the accused.
The court noted that it was not the first incident of burning the people of minority community, including a similar kind of incident in Gojra, Lahore. “But the Punjab government is unaffected by the burning of the minorities,” Justice Saeed said.
The court directed IG Police to submit a comprehensive report stating as to what action had been taken so far against the police officials who showed negligence of duty at the time of the tragic incident, adjourning the case till March 9.
Musharraf treason case
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Registrar Office on Thursday returned an application that challenged the Islamabad High Court order to stop the high treason proceedings against former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in the Special Court. The registrar office raised the objections that the application was incomplete as the attested copies of IHC order and Special Court’s November 21 order were not attached with it. The office directed the applicant to complete the application and file it again.
Taufiq Asif, former president of Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench, had filed the application against the Islamabad High Court verdict to stop high treason case against the former military dictator in the Special Court.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2015.
The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by IG Punjab regarding the gruesome killing of a Christian couple in Kot Radha Kishan in Kasur district, summoning the investigation officer and prosecutors along with detailed report on March 9.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed hearing into the suo motu case regarding the Kot Radha Krishan incident. On November 4, 2014, a mob of more than 400 people had tortured to death Sajjad Masih and his wife Shama Bibi – kiln workers from Chak 59 in Kot Radha Kishan – after accusing them of desecrating the Holy Quran.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General Punjab Razaq A Mirza informed the bench that a joint investigation team has submitted an inquiry report of the case. According to it, two years were reduced from the service of sub-inspector Muhammad Ali for showing negligence and carelessness, while ASI Abdur Rashid was sacked from police department.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed remarked that two persons were burnt alive and the authorities only deducted two years from the service of in-charge police check-post and terminated the service of ASI with all benefits. “Due to this tragic incident, Pakistan has been criticised in the whole world,” he said.
The DPO Kasur presented the report, wherein it was stated that out of 81 accused nominated, 59 have been arrested and the challan of case has been filed in the trial court. The report also stated that raids have been conducted for the arrest of rest of the accused.
The court noted that it was not the first incident of burning the people of minority community, including a similar kind of incident in Gojra, Lahore. “But the Punjab government is unaffected by the burning of the minorities,” Justice Saeed said.
The court directed IG Police to submit a comprehensive report stating as to what action had been taken so far against the police officials who showed negligence of duty at the time of the tragic incident, adjourning the case till March 9.
Musharraf treason case
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Registrar Office on Thursday returned an application that challenged the Islamabad High Court order to stop the high treason proceedings against former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in the Special Court. The registrar office raised the objections that the application was incomplete as the attested copies of IHC order and Special Court’s November 21 order were not attached with it. The office directed the applicant to complete the application and file it again.
Taufiq Asif, former president of Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench, had filed the application against the Islamabad High Court verdict to stop high treason case against the former military dictator in the Special Court.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2015.