KARACHI, Oct 10: The High Court of Sindh on Tuesday directed the Member Inspection Team of the SHC to obtain progress reports about cases of under-trial prisoners from the respective trial courts.
The superintendent of the Central Prison Karachi, along with Additional Advocate-General Abbas Ali appeared before the division bench comprising SHC Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Yasmeen Abbasey and submitted a corrected list of UTPs from the period 1996 to 2005.
The AAG stated that the updated lists of UTPs up to 2006 had not been prepared due to time constraints and sought time to enable the authority concerned to prepare the same.
The court also directed a psychiatrist of the Civil Hospital Karachi, Dr Sarhandi, to visit the CPK and examine prisoners, particularly, one Zubair Bin Abdullah incarcerated in the CPK, New Jail, and submit report.
Two UTPs named Shahid Kamal and Faisal Murad confined at the CPK also appeared before the court and complained that no progress had been made on their respective cases.
The president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Ilyas Khan, appeared as an amicus curiae to assist the court with Advocate Muhammad Farooq.
Suo Motu action was taken by the SHC Chief Justice Sabihuddin on a reference made to him by District and Sessions Judge (East) Zafar Ahmed Sherwani about irregularities in jail, which was observed by him during a visit to the CPK.
Adjourning the hearing till Nov 8, the bench also sought the appearance of the CPK superintendent on the next date.
NOTICES ISSUED: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the advocate-general of Sindh, the DIG investigation, the SP investigation and others for Oct 18 on a petition against illegal confinement of a police inspector by the investigation branch.
Mohammad Sadiq submitted that his brother, ex-SHO of the Kalri police station Baharuddin Babar, who also took part in the Lyari operation against gangsters, was illegally detained by the investigation branch since Aug 22 without producing him in any court of law.
His counsel Javed Ahmed Chattari said the petitioner and his family members were not being allowed to meet the detainee who was detained by SP investigation Niaz Khoso.
The court was prayed to order production of the detainee and direct the SHO of SITE to register a case against the respondents for illegally confining him.
After preliminary hearing of the petition, the SHC division bench comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Ali Sain Dino Metlo issued pre-admission notices to respondents and called their comments for Oct 18.
SENT TO JAIL: The administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts in Karachi on Tuesday sent two suspects facing kidnapping for ransom charges to jail, directing the investigation officer to submit a charge-sheet against them on Oct 17.
Rufi Ahmed and Noman Azeem are accused of kidnapping 12-year-old Fawad for ransom in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Jan 4.
Police said the accused were arrested in a police encounter case and during investigation they confessed to their involvement in the kidnapping of Jawad for ransom.
Police said the accused demanded Rs30 million from victim's family for his release but after three days they set the boy free without obtaining ransom.
The accused were produced before AJ Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the Sindh High Court for obtaining their further remand as the IO told court that the victim did not turn up before the judicial magistrate concerned for identifying the accused. Three co-accused are still at large.
The AJ rejecting the request sent the accused to jail and directed the IO to submit a charge-sheet against them on Oct 17.
BAIL GRANTED: A division bench of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday granted bail to an alleged drug trafficker against a surety of Rs100,000. The accused, Ayaz Salik, was arrested at the airport on April 28.—Agencies
