KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed police to arrest the killers of two Hindu brothers — Dileep Maheshawari and Chandar Maheshawari — and complete the investigation at the earliest.

The Maheshawari brothers were shot dead inside their shop when they reportedly offered resistance to armed robbers on Jan 5 in Mithi, the capital of Tharparkar district.

Dileep died on the spot whereas Chandar breathed his last at Mithi Civil Hospital.

SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh had taken the suo moto notice and directed DIG and SSP concerned to submit the report before the court.

On Thursday, the investigation officer of the case and other officials of the Mithi police appeared in court to state that the investigators were making all-out efforts to track down the culprits. The investigation officer told the judges that the probe into double murder was underway and the culprits would be arrested and produced before the court soon.

The bench directed the police to arrest the killers at the earlier and put off the hearing to a date that would be pronounced later by the court’s office.

Sugar cane case

Meanwhile, a two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Sheikh decided to hear the petition seeking regulation of sugar cane price in the province on day to day basis.

The bench was hearing pleas regarding sugar cane price regulation.

The sugar cane growers had submitted that the sugar mill owners did not pay the rates fixed by the government as the minimum set rate was Rs182 per 40 kilogram.

Besides, the growers said the mill owners did not follow the due procedure in the last crushing season as well and price regulation case was pending with the apex court. The sugar mill owners had assailed the rates fixed by the government, maintaining that they would face severe loss, if buy the sugar cane on government-fixed rates (Rs182 per 40kg).

The sugar cane growers and the mill owners had sought the interim relief from the court accordingly. On Thursday, the court expressed displeasure over the counsel of both sides as they started arguing loudly.

“The sugar mills face a Rs7 million loss on daily basis due to this uncertainty,” their counsel said.

In a reply, the lawyer representing the sugar cane growers said, “It was the growers who were suffering the most, not the sugar mill owners.” Asking both the lawyers not to argue loudly, Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, one of the judges of a two-member bench remarked that it was a tactic to pressurise the court.

“We will not give into anybody’s pressure and decide the case on merit,” he added.

Adjourning the matter until Jan 15, the court decided to hear the case on daily basis from then. The bench also sought reply from sugar mills’ owners on contempt application filed against them.

The SHC had earlier directed the sugar mill owners to pay Rs172 per 40kg to the growers until the disposal of the case or a next order regarding the price.

“The contempt of court’s proceedings would be initiated against the delinquent sugar mills, if they pay less than the interim rate fixed by it,” the court ruled.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2018