HYDERABAD: Hyderabad antiterrorism court on Wednesday granted bail to Anis Khaskheli, accused in Sindh University student Naila Rind’s suicide case, for a sum of Rs100,000.

Late Rind, a final-year student of Sindhi department, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her room in Marvi hostel on Jan 1, 2017.

Anis, son of a medical university registrar, was arrested on Jan 6 after police found his mobile phone number among those who had called the girl on her last day.

The suspect was represented by Ishrat Lohar in the case which was lodged against an ‘unknown caller’ under Sections 315, 316, 509 of the PPC, 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and 3, 9 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2009.

The court had heard arguments of defence counsel and prosecutor on July 12 and reserved judgement in the case which was announced on Wednesday.

The defence counsel argued that sections of the ATA and PPC inserted in the FIR did not apply in this case because the accused had not harmed the girl’s body or mind.

He argued that even Section 318 (qatl-i-khata) did not apply and Section 3, 9 of Electronic Crimes Act, 2009, could not be added in the case because the name of his client was not mentioned in the FIR. The only ‘crime’ of the accused was that he and the deceased girl had exchanged pictures with each other, he added.

District public prosecutor Nasir Durrani opposed the grant of bail to the accused and admitted that his name was not mentioned in the FIR, but his mobile phone number was.

He said that if he was granted bail it would discourage parents to send their children to universities and resultantly they would be deprived of their right to higher education. It was a crime against society, he said.

Naila Rind’s final post-mortem examination report had revealed that her death was caused by constriction of neck, leading to asphyxia which was sufficient to cause death in ordinary course of nature.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.