KARACHI, Sept 13: Five suspects linked to the Lyari gang warfare were produced by the police in a magisterial court to obtain their physical custody for interrogation as the rains lashed the city.

The City Courts premises wore a deserted look as the number of litigants was low with most of the court and paralegal staff unable to reach their workplaces mainly due to unavailability of the public transport.

Same was the situation at the anti-terrorism courts on Maulvi Tameezuddin Road and the accountability courts and anti-narcotics court in Clifton.

Undertrial prisoners were not moved out of prisons as all the major arteries were flooded with rainwater.

Most lawyers also did not turn up, while a few stamp vendors opened.

The judges and the senior court staff, however, reached their offices in their official vehicles.

The court staff also left their offices early as no court proceedings were held, while the judicial officers remained confined to their chambers.

The five suspects — Rizwan, Nisar Ahmed, Faran, Muhammad Husain alias Chamber and Aqeel — were remanded in police custody till Sept 24 by Judicial Magistrate (west) Pir Syed Asadullah Shah Rashidi.

The magistrate directed the investigation officer of the case to submit the final charge-sheet against the suspects on the next date of hearing.

The gangland suspects were arrested by the Crime Investigation Department police in Baldia Town within the remit of the Moachko police station during a raid on their alleged hideout.

They were also allegedly involved in several cases of targeted killings.