ISLAMABAD: A local court on Monday indicted Shahnawaz Amir in the murder case of his Canadian national wife, Sarah Inam.

The accused is son of veteran journalist Ayaz Amir. District and Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani also charged Samina Shah, the ex-wife of Mr Amir, with abetting his son in the crime. Judge Rabbani dismissed her plea, seeking acquittal in the murder case.

Her counsel Nisar Asghar adopted before the court that the police in the challan report had admitted that Ms Shah was present at the crime scene; however, the prosecution did not bring any evidence on court’s record. He requested the court to absolve her of the charges.

During the proceeding on Monday, the court had to take a brief adjournment as the counsel for the deceased’s father Rao Abdul Rahim could not reach the courtroom.

Later, Mr Rahim argued that the accused persons had admitted that after divorce Sarah had gone to their house and they had dinner together.

He added that the principal accused had divorced Sarah about a couple of days before her murder and it may not be a coincidence that the CCTV cameras were switched off simultaneously.

The challan claimed that during the course of investigation Shahnawazhad confessed to killing Sarah.

It said Me Shah, the mother of the main accused, told the police that her son had a fight with Sarah and killed her by hitting her on the head with a dumbbell. After the arrest, the main accused confessed that he had killed his wife during a fight.

As per the challan, the main accused told the police that he hid his wife’s body in a bathroom tub before it was recovered by the police on his identification.

It said the police also recovered the dumbbell with which the accused had allegedly killed his wife. There were blood stains on Shahnawaz’s shirt, hands and the dumbbell. Five passports, five mobile phones and a copy of the marriage certificate were also seized from the accused, according to the police challan.

The main accused also told investigators that when Sarah did not send him money he had a heated telephonic conversation with her and divorced her on the phone.

The accused told the police that after divorce, Sarah had reached Islamabad from Abu Dhabi on September 22.

The police arrested Shahnawaz on September 23 on the charge of murdering his wife at his farmhouse at Shahzad Town, Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2022