KARACHI, July 5: A policeman booked for killing one of his colleagues managed to escape from the city courts soon after his plea for the confirmation of a pre-arrest bail was dismissed on Thursday.

Constable Noor Alam was booked for allegedly killing another constable, Mohammad Shafiq, on May 26.

Through his lawyer, the suspect had moved the pre-arrest bail application in a sessions court which had granted an interim bail to him and asked him to appear on July 5 for its confirmation or otherwise.

On Thursday additional district and sessions judge (south) Abdul Razzaq dismissed the confirmation plea after hearing arguments from both sides.

However, as soon as the judge pronounced the order, the suspect made an easy escape despite the presence of the investigating officer and other policemen.

According to the prosecution, the two constables were on duty on May 26 when Noor Alam attacked and killed Mohammad Shafiq with a hard object.

A case (FIR No 107/12) was registered against the suspect under Section 302 (punishment for premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the Nabi Bux police station.

‘Gangsters’ remanded

A judicial magistrate on Thursday remanded four suspected gangsters in police custody till July 12 in a number of cases registered against them.

The crime investigation department (CID) arrested Faisal alias Moota, Arslan, Younus Kalu and Abdul Hameed in Shershah after an alleged shootout with them on Wednesday. The suspects are said to be associated with one of several criminal gangs operating in Lyari.

The CID police produced the suspects before a judicial magistrate (west) in six cases pertaining to encounter with police and possession of illicit weapons and explosive substance.

The magistrate, Afzal Roshan, handed them over to the CID on physical remand with direction to produce them on the next hearing.

They were booked under Sections 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (attempt to commit murder) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC, 13-D of the Arms Ordinance and 4/5 of the Explosive Substance Act.

Woman’s murder case

A sessions court on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to the investigating officer, through the city police chief, for his long absence from the hearing of a case pertaining to the murder of a retired female professor.

Suspects Saleem alias Shabbir and Khalida have been charged with killing their employer, Professor Dr Zeba Zakia, in January 2008.

The prosecution has already examined all the witnesses except the investigating officer, Shahid Hussain Qureshi. During the previous hearings, show-cause notices and summons asking the IO to appear in court were issued but the officer neither turned up nor did he submit any reply.

Additional district and sessions judge (south) Javed Ahmed Keerio, who is conducting the trial in the Judicial Complex, issued a fresh show-cause notice to the IO through the deputy inspector general of police for July 18 and also directed the police high-ups to stop disbursement of his salary.

According to the prosecution, the body of the 75-year-old unmarried professor was found in the bushes within the jurisdiction of the Sachal police station on Jan 29, 2008. The deceased lived alone in her Gulshan-i-Iqbal residence.

The police had arrested the woman’s driver, Saleem alias Shabbir, and housemaid, Khalida, suspecting their involvement in the murder.

A case (FIR No.55/2008) was registered under Sections 302 and 34 (common intention) of the PPC at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station.