GUJRANWALA: A Wazirabad district and sessions judge sentenced a man to death three times and imposed a fine of Rs1 million on Tuesday in connection with a triple murder case, while three other accused were acquitted.

The crime took place on June 29, 2023, in Burj Tasha, a village near Alipur Chattha.

According to case details, Nauman Chattha, along with his accomplices, fired celebratory gunshots at a friend’s engagement on March 23, 2023. Villagers reported the incident to the police helpline (15). Soon, ASI Karamat from the Rasulnagar police post arrested the suspect. However, he was later released under suspicious circumstances.

When the Gujranwala city police officer was informed, he suspended SHO Rana Imtiaz of Alipur Chattha police station and ASI Karamat for negligence.

Harbouring a grudge against those who had reported him, Chattha on June 29, 2023, the day of Eidul Azha, invited several people to his farmhouse under the pretense of making amends. When Haji Manawar, 60, Iftikhar Hussain, 55, and his son Saad Iftikhar arrived, Chattha opened fire with a Kalashnikov, killing them on the spot.

Notably, Saad Chattha had recently passed the CSS exam and was about to assume charge as an assistant commissioner.

District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Nadeem Ansari pronounced the verdict, sentencing Nauman Chattha to death three times for the triple murder. The court ordered him to pay Rs1 million in compensation to the victims’ families.

However, the court acquitted three co-accused due to a lack of evidence.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2025