KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Monday granted bail to three men held for their alleged involvement in assaulting women during a quarrel at a restaurant in Defence Housing Authority on Sunday night.

Footage of the fight between members of two families went viral on social media, prompting police to intervene.

The Darakhshan police registered an FIR on the complaint of Shahid Lashari Baloch against several persons including Amir, Khalid Ahmed, and Malik Subhan under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 337-A (punishment of shajjah) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Investigating Officer Muhammad Akram produced the suspects before Judicial Magistrate (South) Mazhar Ali.

Before the hearing, Karachi Bar Association president Aamir Nawaz Warraich and general secretary Ikhtiar Ali Channah attempted to mediate a compromise between the parties involved. Both parties ultimately agreed to settle the matter after the suspects expressed willingness to submit an apology in court regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel moved an application in court seeking bail for his clients.

After hearing the counsel for both sides, the court granted bail to the three suspects against a surety bond of Rs30,000 each.

The complainant told the police that he along with his family went to have dinner at a restaurant in DHA on Sunday, where a verbal spat took place between his sister-in-law and an unidentified woman over the use of some chairs and it later turned into a physical attack on his family members.

The complainant informed police that he and his family dined at a DHA restaurant, where a verbal dispute erupted between his sister-in-law and an unidentified woman over chair usage. The altercation escalated into a physical assault on his family by male and female members of the woman’s family.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2024