KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday allowed police to interrogate a district and sessions judge in the murder case of Aqib Shahani, son of his fellow judge at Jacobabad, as the victim’s family alleged that the 19-year-old man was killed at his behest.

A division bench gave this direction on the application of victim’s family who sought prosecution of District and Sessions Judge Sikandar Lashari of Mithi in the murder case under Section 197 of the criminal procedure code.

Aqib Shahani aka Kashif, son of District and Sessions Judge, Jacobabad, Khalid Hussain Shahani, was gunned down in Hyderabad on Feb 19. He was driving his car when gunmen in another vehicle intercepted him on Thandi Sarak, got him out and sprayed him with bullets. His two sisters and mother and a cousin were with him in the car.

His cousin, Hunain Hussain, later lodged the case (FIR 12/2014) against unidentified culprits.

On Feb 26, the victim’s family moved an application requesting the court to grant permission under Section 197 of the CrPC to prosecute Judge Sikandar Ali Lashari, the district and session judge, Mithi, in the murder case of Aqib Shahani.

The statements of the victim’s family, including his mother, Shamsun Nisa, and sisters, Komal and Nimra, were also attached with the application seeking trial of Judge Lashari.

According to the statements, Aqib was killed at the instance of Sikandar Lashari because he was in love with a daughter of the judge.

The SHC had earlier deferred the hearing of the application when it first came up on Feb 26.

On Monday, it again came up for hearing before an SHC bench that ordered that the investigation was for the time being allowed to interrogate Mr Lashari.

The investigation is being conducted by SSP Hyderabad Pir Farid Jan Sirhandi under the supervision of DIG Hyderabad.