ISLAMABAD: The prosecution in the Osama Satti murder case on Monday informed the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad that the investigating officer in this murder case has been changed and sought further physical remand of the under custody five former police officials.

ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan questioned that why the investigation could not be concluded in 22 days physical remand. The prosecution sought four days remand, but the court extended the remand for three days with the direction to conclude the investigation within this period.

The prosecution produced the accused Mudassir Iqbal, Shakeel Ahmed, Mohammad Mustafa, Saeed Ahmed and Iftikhar Ahmed in the court. Advocate Raja Faisal Younis told the court that the investigating officer has been replaced on the request of Satti’s father.

He said that an eyewitness of the incident has also volunteered to record statement in the case and therefore the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) may be given more time to conclude the investigation.

During the court’s proceeding, relatives of Satti held a peaceful protest outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC).

As per the FIR registered in the case by Satti’s father, his son Osama had a quarrel with officials of the capital police a day earlier who had threatened him with dire consequences.

On Jan 2, at around 2am, Osama had gone to drop his friend in H-11. When he was returning, the police officials intercepted his vehicle, the FIR said, adding that they then fired at him from all sides, which resulted into his death.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2021