KARACHI, March 29: A sessions court sentenced on Thursday a man and his three family members to life in prison in his wife’s murder case.

The court found Mohammad Saeed, his brothers Gulfam and Mohammad Jameel and Jameel’s wife Zarina guilty of burning Rubi, Saeed’s wife, to death within the remit of the Garden police station in May 2006.

The additional district and sessions judge (south), Shahid Hussain Chandio, pronounced the verdict after hearing both sides.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each, and in case of default the convicts would have to undergo an additional six-month imprisonment.

The judge in his verdict ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a shadow of a doubt by placing ample evidence before the court.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons had doused the victim with kerosene and set her on fire on May 17, 2006 at their home in Garden over a domestic dispute. The accused party maintained that the woman had caught fire while cooking, but her father lodged a case against the accused and stated that they set his daughter ablaze.

A case (FIR 76/2006) was registered under Sections 322 (punishment for qatl-bis-sabab) and 114 (abettor present when offence committed) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The accused were present before the court on bail and following the pronouncement of judgment they were taken into custody and sent to prison with the conviction warrant to serve out the awarded sentences.

Remand extended A judicial magistrate extended on Thursday the physical remand of a suspect in a case of firing outside the venue of a literary event.

Following the expiry of his physical remand, the police produced Muneer Khan Pathan before the judicial magistrate (south) and sought an extension in his remand. The court granted one-day extension.

According to the prosecution, the suspect with his absconding accomplices opened fire outside a poetry symposium (mushaira) venue within the remit of the Boat Basin police station on the night of March 25, but the police returned fire, killing suspect Kamran. The event was organised by the Defence-Clifton Residents Committee of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

A case (FIR 152/12) was registered under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (criminal assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC.

Judicial inquiry

The office of the district and sessions court (south) on Thursday received a notification issued by the provincial home department regarding a judicial probe into the killing of an MQM senior worker and his brother.

However, court sources said the judicial officer would take up the matter after getting permission from the chief justice of the Sindh High Court.