June 21, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 05, 1428

HYDERABAD, June 20: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court in a suo motu action on Wednesday ordered release of a minor boy and said that the boy was entitled to concession provided under section 83 of PPC.

Justice Amir Hani Muslim passed the order after Ranoo was produced in court in pursuance of his directives issued on Tuesday during his visit to the central jail's juvenile ward where he came across Ranoo, who was apparently less than 12 years of age.

The boy was booked under sections 302, 34 PCP by Kunri police station and was remanded in judicial custody by civil judge and judicial magistrate Kunri on June 18 for eight days. The magistrate himself in his remand order had put Ranoo’s age at 11 to 12 years.

Police charged him with murdering his father, Gangoo Kolhi, at her mother Shrimati Samjhoo’s instigation. The IO produced papers in the court and informed that the incident took place on June 10 near Tahirabad bus stand in Deh Wanjha Kunri taluka.

The case was filed by Bheemo, son of Gangoo, Ranoo’s stepbrother on June 11 after a delay of 11 hours although police station just 11 kilometres from the crime scene.

Police arrested Ranoo and his mother after they were nominated by the complainant. His mother was arrested the same day while police claimed to have found a blood stained hatchet in her possession.

The IO also found a blood stained head-sheet (dupatta) of Samjhoo at the time of her arrest.

An eye-witness Premo, who is Ranoo’s stepbrother, said that Chanoo who was related to Premo and Jumeo, who is nephew of Premo were examined by police under section 161 CrPC.

Statements of Premo and Chanoo were also recorded under sections 164 CrPC in which they blamed Ranoo and his mother for the murder.

The court observed that no incriminating article was found on Ranoo. He was arrested on June 17 and to date except for statements of his mother and stepbrother and aforesaid two persons, who were related to his stepbrother, there was no other evidence or material collected by the IO, who submitted in court that the deceased had earlier killed his two wives. One had left him while Samjhoo was his fourth wife.

The court also noted that Ranoo was not beyond 10 years of age by his appearance and he was hardly three and a half feet tall with frail physique.

The court said that Ranoo was entitled to concession provided under section 83 of PPC and ordered that superintendent jail should hand over custody of the minor to his maternal grand father, Wallo, a resident of Fateh Mohammad village of Khipro taluka on the execution of personal bond by Ranoo and his grand father.

Assistant AG of Sindh, Rasheed Ahmed Qureshi, along with SP investigation wing, Khuda Bux, investigating officer of the case, Dur Mohammad of police station Kunri were present in the courtroom.