Tragic accident: Main accused in drag race case arrested

Majid Naheem arrested on Saturday after he withdrew his application for bail.

RAWALPINDI: Majid Naheem, who was driving the car that ran over five people in Bahria Town drag race, was arrested on Saturday after he withdrew his application for bail.

Moreover, Sheikh Arif -- co-accused and chief organiser of the race -- did not appear before the additional district and session court and his counsel instead presented a doctor’s note advising him bed rest.

Justice Chaudhry Aurangzeb rejected Arif’s non-prosecution bail and directed the investigation officer to examine the medical report for authenticity.

The third accused in the case Waleed Khan, co-organiser, appeared before the court without his lawyer and requested the court to extend his interim bail. The bail was extended till December 20.

Previously, Justice Muhammad Iqbal had granted interim bail to Majid Naheem and Sheikh Arif against surety bonds of Rs100,000 and transferred the case to district and session judge. The district and session judge forwarded the case to additional district and session judge, who set the hearing for Saturday.

The five spectators were killed when Naheem lost control of his car which skidded off the road and ran them over. The race was being organised in Phase VIII of Bahria Town, a posh locality in the outskirts of the twin cities. The relatives of the deceased lodged an FIR with the Civil Line Police against Arif, Naheem, Waleed Khan, Ali Riaz and others.

In a drag race, two challengers race down a straight road. Usually, light sports cars fitted with powerful engines are used. Winning the race requires being able to change gears quickly and smoothly at the perfect time (depending on the optimum revolutions per minute (rpm) of the engine). Since the cars normally speed down a straight road, spectators feel safe standing just on the side and watching the events unfold at relative proximity.

Drivers are required to keep a close watch on their rpms. Turning and manoeuvring skills are not tested. Naheem, however, lost control over his vehicle and drove off the track. Because the car was at a high speed, the spectators did not have any time to move out of the way or run for safety.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2010.