KARACHI: A local court on Tuesday remanded seven detained officials of K-Electric in judicial custody in a case pertaining to the falling of live electric wires on an eight-year-old boy.

Sixteen officials and officers of the power utility were booked in the case pertaining to falling of live electric wire on Mohammad Umar, on Aug 25, resulting in amputation of his both arms to save his life.

The investigating officer on Tuesday produce seven detained suspects — deputy manager Saeed Ahmed, assistant engineer Syed Mohammad Asim, Asif Iqbal, Saqib Husain, Sagheer Raza, Mirza Asif Beg and Mohammad Mushtaq — before the judicial magistrate concerned (Malir) upon expiry of their physical remand in police custody.

The IO requested for extension in their physical custody in police remand arguing that the suspects were to be further interrogated since the investigation was yet to be completed.

However, the judicial magistrate asked the IO to submit a progress report to show what progress in the investigation was made so far.

The IO informed that four more suspects nominated in the FIR had recently been arrested and a progress report would soon be filed in court.

On the other hand, the defence counsel for the detained suspects opposed the IO’s request for extension of their clients’ physical remand in police custody.

However, the magistrate came down hard on the IO and turned down his request for extension in physical remand of the suspects in police custody.

The magistrate remanded them in judicial custody and directed the IO to submit a progress report on the next date.

Nine co-accused get interim bail

Meanwhile, an additional district and sessions judge (Malir) on Tuesday granted interim pre-arrest bail to nine other KE officials in the same case against a surety bond of Rs30,000 each.

The suspects — including Riaz Ahmed Nizamani, general manager (maintenance); Nisar Ahmed, manager (maintenance); Zamir Ahmed Sheikh, deputy general manager; Saqib Abbas, deputy general manager; Arsala, supervisor; Syed Shah Nawaz, shift in-charge; Raza Hussain, assistant engineer; Shaukat Mangi, shift in-charge; and Imran Aslam — moved applications through their counsel seeking interim bail before arrest to enable them to surrender before the trial court and join investigation.

A case was registered under Sections 337H-1 (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act) and 336 (punishment for itlaf-i-salahiyyat-i-udw) of the Pakistan Penal Code against KE-Gadap on the complaint of the boy’s father at the SITE Superhighway Industrial police station.

Section 336 pertains to an offence that “destroys or permanently impairs functioning power or capacity of an organ of body of another person or cause permanent disfigurement”.

The complainant stated that his family planned to go for a picnic and he sent his son to bring something from outside.

At around 10.30am, he was informed that a live electric wire had fallen on his son and it was removed by area people with the help of wooden sticks from his hands.

Due to high voltage, both hands of the boy were badly burnt and had to be amputated to save his life.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2018