Film-maker, friend remanded in murder case

Published June 25, 2013
Mohib Mirza, Aamina Sheikh, Meher Jafri, Mansoor Mujahid pose at the screening of Lamha (Seedlings) at the New York City International Film Festival. – Photo from Twitter
Mohib Mirza, Aamina Sheikh, Meher Jafri, Mansoor Mujahid pose at the screening of Lamha (Seedlings) at the New York City International Film Festival. – Photo from Twitter

KARACHI, June 23: The director of an award-winning film, Seedlings or Lamha, and his female friend were on Sunday remanded in police custody till June 28 for their alleged involvement in a murder case.

Mansoor Mujahid, who directed Seedlings, and his friend Anab, have been booked and arrested for allegedly killing their friend, Faisal Nabi, in an apartment in Zamzama, Defence.

They were produced before a judicial magistrate (south) on Sunday for remand. The magistrate remanded them in police custody till June 28.

The investigation officer of the case, Inspector Saleem, told Dawn that the victim was associated with a bank in Dubai and had recently shifted to Karachi. He was married and father of three, he added.

He said that the murder took place at the apartment of suspect Anab. A friend of victim Faisal was also present at the apartment at that time and later she informed the police about the incident. She had been made an eyewitness to the case, the IO added.In his initial statement to the police, suspect Mujahid said that on the night between June 19 and 20, he along with other friends was at Anab’s apartment and they were consuming some party drugs.

The suspect told the police that “his pistol went off and a bullet hit Faisal. As he was crying in pain, I shot him another bullet”.

However, the IO said that the victim sustained two bullet wounds from behind, in the head and shoulder.

Clifton SHO Kansan Dean said that they were consuming “something when, something happened there, which resulted in the death”.

He said that the suspects hid the body at the apartment for one day. Suspect Mujahid had thrown acid on the victim’s face so that the body could not be identified. He wrapped the body in a bedspread and dumped it in the parking area of the Sunrise apartment in Clifton Block-2, said the area SHO.

He said that the murder took place in front of the victim’s female friend, who was also intoxicated at that time. When she regained senses, she phoned a relative of the victim, told him about the incident and approached the police.

The SHO said that the prime suspect was arrested in a raid at the apartment and an unlicensed pistol was also recovered from him. His friend, Anab, was also taken into custody. She owned the apartment and lived there alone as her family was in Qatar.The IO, however, said that the female suspect was held for her alleged involvement in helping the prime suspect in dumping the body.

“There are different versions of the incident and the motive for the murder is still not clear,” said the area SHO.

A case (FIR 191/2013) was registered on a complaint of the victim’s brother-in-law Nayal Khan against Mansoor Mujahid and Anab under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Another case (FIR 192/2013) was registered against suspect Mujahid under Section 13-D of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance for possessing an illicit weapon.

Meanwhile, those who knew Mansoor Mujahid were in a state of shock and disbelief.

They said that he was considered a remarkable student when he was studying at a private university in Clifton. He was the only graduate of his class who directed a film. He was also a thesis adviser to the students of final year of the media sciences department of the university.

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