January 31, 2008	Thursday	Muharram 21, 1429

KARACHI, Jan 30: The Judicial Magistrate, West, Shafiqullah M. Hassan, on Wednesday considered the interim charge-sheet submitted on Dec 14 by the investigation officer of the couple’s murder case as a final challan, and transferred the case to the court of district and sessions judge, West.

Earlier, the court had issued notices to the investigation officer directing him to submit the final charge-sheet but the IO had failed to comply with the court’s order.

According to the prosecution, Kashif Ali Khan, a bank manager, and his wife, Mehwish, were found shot dead on Nov 21, 2007 in their house located in Taiser Town in the limits of Surjani Town police station. The couple had got married 10 months back. A “suicide note” found along with a TT pistol near the bodies read: “We are killing ourselves on our own”.

The investigation officer, SI Ghulam Akbar Narejo of the Surjani Town police station, had submitted an interim charge-sheet to the court stating that accused, Asadullah, and his wife, Rashida, had recorded their statements during the interrogation to confess to the murder. An illegal TT pistol was also shown as having been recovered from Asadullah. However, involvement of the co-accused, Kaleem and Shakila, could not be confirmed as yet, the IO added.

In his “confessional statement” Asadullah has accused the victim, Kashif, of having subjected his wife to rape. To avenge the rape, he took his wife Rashida, sister-in-law Shakila and younger brother Kaleem to Kashif’s house on Nov 21. He said that Kashif and Mehwish were served milk laced with tranquillizers. Later, he said, he shot the couple dead. Asadullah also confessed to having written the suicide note found near their bodies.

Shakila and Kaleemullah, through their counsel, had submitted an application to the court seeking acquittal. The court accepted the application citing lack of evidence against the co-accused.

Mandi officials’ case

The Special judge of the Anti-corruption Court, Karachi, Syed Gul Munir Shah, on Wednesday adjourned till Feb 23 the hearing of a corruption case against the administrator and some other officials of the New Sabzi Mandi’s market committee due to the absence of the defence counsel.

On Jan 11, the judge had directed investigation officer of the case to submit the final charge-sheet on Jan 30 but the IO could not submit it and requested more time. Accepting his request, the court told him to submit the final charge-sheet on Feb 23.

The administrator G. M. Chakrani and secretary Saeed-ul-Hasan Zaidi of the market committee, along with director-general of the provincial government’s agriculture extension department Naeem Ahmed Korejo and section officer of the department Ashiq Hussein are facing a trial in a land scam involving millions of rupees.