KARACHI, June 26: A sessions court dismissed on Tuesday the bail applications of three women, two of them said to be pregnant, in a robbery case.

The three women — Tayyaba, wife of Tahir, Samreen, wife of Bin Yameen, and Zara, daughter of Mahmood — along with their male accomplice have been booked for robbing a house within the remit of the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station over three weeks ago.

The suspects moved the bail applications before Additional District and Sessions Judge (east) Obaid Ahmed Khan, who dismissed their pleas after hearing both sides.

The court observed that as per the memo of arrest, which was counter-signed by the complainant, his wife and another local witness, the applicants along with their male accomplice were apprehended and robbed articles were also seized from them and no enmity was brought on record between the complainant and the suspects.

As far as pregnancy of the women suspects was concerned, the court ruled that proper treatment be given to them at the Civil Hospital Karachi or the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre since a large number of pregnant women in the city gave birth to their babies in these hospitals. Therefore, the order added, the ground of pregnancy was not of any avail for the defence.

Earlier, relying upon the ultrasound reports defence counsel Jamila Manzoor contended that the applicants were implicated in the case since Tayyaba and Samreen were nine- and seven-month pregnant and in such a condition it was not possible for a woman to move easily, let alone commit the alleged offence.

She submitted that the third woman was implicated due to enmity.

However, public prosecutor Arif Sitai vehemently opposed the bail pleas on the ground that the applicants were not only arrested on the spot but incriminating articles were also recovered from their possession.

Referring to the pregnancy of the two suspects, he argued that there was a medical facility available inside jail with regard to delivery.

According to the prosecution, the women along with their accomplice broke into the house of Samiuddin and robbed it.

But a member of the victim family made hue and cry during the commissioning of the offence which prompted their neighbours to call the police and the suspects were arrested red-handed, it added.

A case (FIR 366/2012) was lodged under Sections 395 (punishment for dacoity) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.