LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Saturday approved four-day physical remand of five officials in a case of death of a mother and her minor daughter by falling into a sewer line near Bhati Gate.

Earlier, police presented the arrested officials before the magistrate at district courts in handcuffs and sought their 14-day physical remand.

The suspects include Project Manager Asghar Sandhu, Site In-charge Hunzala, Ahmed Nawaz, and Daniyal.

Judicial Magistrate Shafqat Abbas heard the police request for physical remand.

During the hearing, a counsel for the suspects opposed the police plea, arguing that physical remand was unnecessary.

The defence counsel informed the court that Rs10 million had been paid to the aggrieved family in the form of a cheque on humanitarian grounds.

He admitted that the incident was tragic.

The lawyer also presented a photocopy of the cheque issued to the victim’s family.

The magistrate directed the police to complete investigation during the remand period and produce the suspects again on Feb 3.

Victims Sadia (24) and her 10-month-old daughter Rida Fatima had come to Lahore from Jhang district with their family.

After visiting Data Darbar, the family was about to sit in an auto rickshaw, when Sadia and Rida slipped into an open manhole near an under construction site of Bhati Gate expansion project.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2026