Sialkot lynching: LHC acquits nine policemen
The convicted policemen told the court that they were not present when the incident had occurred.
The thirteen people who were given death sentences and life imprisonments told the LHC that the lower court had not conducted a fair trial as it was under the pressure of superior courts and the media. PHOTO: LHC.GOV.PK
LAHORE:
A division bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday acquitted nine policemen from the Sialkot lynching case. The court dismissed the appeals of 13 other appellants. On August 15, 2010, a mob had lynched two brothers Mughees Sajjad and Muneeb Sajjad in a village near Sialkot after accusing them of being robbers.
The convicted policemen told the court that they were not present when the incident had occurred. The trial court had sentenced the policemen to three years in jail and fined them. They were: former SHO Rana Ilyas, ASI Waris and Constables Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Akram, Mubarak Ali, Muhammad Yasin, Muhammad Bashir and Naseer Ahmed.
The thirteen people who were given death sentences and life imprisonments told the LHC that the lower court had not conducted a fair trial as it was under the pressure of superior courts and the media. They requested the court to set aside the convictions. The prosecution counsel said that the 13 were identified through video footage of the lynching. He also presented a copy of the video. After hearing the arguments, the bench dismissed their appeals and acquitted the policemen.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2015.
A division bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday acquitted nine policemen from the Sialkot lynching case. The court dismissed the appeals of 13 other appellants. On August 15, 2010, a mob had lynched two brothers Mughees Sajjad and Muneeb Sajjad in a village near Sialkot after accusing them of being robbers.
The convicted policemen told the court that they were not present when the incident had occurred. The trial court had sentenced the policemen to three years in jail and fined them. They were: former SHO Rana Ilyas, ASI Waris and Constables Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Akram, Mubarak Ali, Muhammad Yasin, Muhammad Bashir and Naseer Ahmed.
The thirteen people who were given death sentences and life imprisonments told the LHC that the lower court had not conducted a fair trial as it was under the pressure of superior courts and the media. They requested the court to set aside the convictions. The prosecution counsel said that the 13 were identified through video footage of the lynching. He also presented a copy of the video. After hearing the arguments, the bench dismissed their appeals and acquitted the policemen.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2015.