HYDERABAD, Nov 7: The Sindh High Court chief justice on Wednesday gave the Hyderabad police permission to interrogate Muhammad Saleem Qambrani, senior civil judge, in connection with a couple murder case.

Ishtiaq Sheikh and his wife Samia Detho were killed allegedly by the woman’s father, brother and their associates after the couple got married of their freewill.

The judge was nominated as one of the 22 suspects in the FIR and the police had sought the SHC chief justice’s permission to interrogate him.

Granting the permission vide a communication (936 MIT-I/SHC, Karachi, dated Nov 7, 2012), the chief justice said: “The investigation officer of the case be allowed to interrogate and record statement of Muhammad Saleem Qambrani, in presence and chamber of the Additional Registrar, High Court of Sindh, Circuit Court, Hyderabad.”

The permission was communicated to the Hyderabad district police by Member Inspection Team Faheem Ahmed Siddiqui.

The murder case (FIR No 190/12) was lodged with the Tandojam police station by Mohammad Ismail, brother of Ishtiaq Sheikh.

On Monday, Mr Qambrani was granted interim pre-arrest bail by an anti-terrorism court in a sum of Rs100,000.

Meanwhile, the medical board constituted for performing an autopsy of Samia Detho will get her body exhumed on Thursday. Ishtiaq Sheikh’s remains would also be examined the same day.

The deceased woman’s father, Ahmed Detho, his nephew Sikandar Detho, son of the judge Bilawal Qambrani, Raheem and Haji Detho nominated in the FIR have already been arrested. Seventeen other nominated suspects are still at large.

The couple was reportedly killed on Aug 23 in Mangar Mori village when they were returning to their homes on assurance that their freewill marriage would be accepted.