Sarabjit Singh case: Faulty video link delays murder trial

DSJ has yet to respond to request for shifting of suspects to another prison.

LAHORE: There has been no substantial development in the Sarabjit Singh’s murder case over the past eight months owing to the dysfunctional video link at the Kot Lakhpat Central Jail, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Amir Sarfraz and Mudassar Muneer had allegedly attacked Manjeet Singh alias Sarabjeet Singh with bricks in April, 2013. Singh died at Jinnah Hospital on May 2, 2013, from injuries sustained in the attack. An FIR was registered by Kot Lakhpat Central Jail deputy superintendent Ghulam Sarwar against inmates Sarfraz and Muneer.

The murder trial has since been conducted inside the Kot Lakhpat Jail premises through a video link. Additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Nasir Javed Rana will take up the case on May 20 (Wednesday) when two prosecution witnesses are scheduled to record their statements in the court. In the last hearing on April 29, the judge had observed that a request to transfer the suspects to the district jail was pending a response from district and sessions judge (DSJ) Tariq Iftikhar Ahmed.

The case was transferred to Justice Rana’s court on April 10.

Earlier, ADSJ Shazib Saeed had been hearing the case since September 9, 2014 when the video link of the central jail went out of order due to rain. The judge had sought a report from the jail superintendent about the time required to make the link operational.

Only three out of a total 41 prosecution witnesses have so far recorded their statements. Their cross examinations were reserved on the request of the defence.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2015.