LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Saturday denied police further physical remand of an underage car driver and sent him to jail on judicial remand in a case involving death of a young man and injuries to several others in Shahdara Town.

The police produced suspect Hashir Umar before the court on completion of his four-day physical remand.

The investigating officer informed the court that the process of determining the suspect’s exact age was still underway and that a co-suspect was yet to be arrested. He sought remand of the suspect for further investigation.

However, the magistrate turned down the request, sending the suspect on judicial remand.

The magistrate noted that no significant progress had been made in the investigation during the previous remand of the suspect. He said a mere claim of requiring more time for age determination or arresting a co-suspect was insufficient to justify extending physical remand.

He further noted that the report regarding the suspect’s age can be submitted at the time of filing the challan (charge sheet).

“It is settled law that physical remand cannot be given mechanically,” the magistrate said in his order.

Rejecting the request for the remand, the magistrate directed the police to produce the suspect again on July 26.

According to police, the underage driver was driving a black SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) at over 120kph on a road leading to a village in Shahdara when he hit at least three motorcycles.

Malik Amin died on the spot while his brother Malik Farid was among the injured persons who were shifted to a local hospital. Initial investigation reveals the SUV belongs to the owner of the house where the boy lives along with his maternal grandmother.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2025