ISLAMABAD: Investigators in Noor Mukadam murder case have failed to submit the challan to court despite expiry of the legal deadline almost a week ago.

Police officers close to the investigation told Dawn on condition of anonymity that under the law, the challan of a case should be submitted to court within 14 days after the suspect is sent on judicial remand.

The main accused in the murder case, Zahir Jaffer, was sent on judicial remand on Aug 2.

His parents were also arrested and sent on judicial remand.

According to the law, the officers said an interim report of the case should be submitted to court within 17 days if the accused or suspect was neither identified nor arrested despite being identified.

A challan, complete or incomplete, should be registered in the court within 14 days after the accused are sent to jail on judicial remand, they said.

But in the high-profile case, neither complete nor incomplete challan has been submitted to the court.

When contacted, investigating officer of the case, Inspector Abdul Sattar, confirmed to Dawn that neither complete nor incomplete challan of the case had been submitted to the court. He said some reports were awaited which resulted in the delay.

Forensic reports of mobile phones submitted to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) are awaited, he said. Besides, reports of some tests, including a DNA conducted on the samples of the victim at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency, are also awaited.

Another officer close to the investigation said the challan would be submitted soon.

The investigators would seek time from court if there is further delay, he added.

“Not submitting the challan to the court within the legal deadline is a violation of the law,” the officer said, adding the investigators should have followed the rules.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2021