KARACHI, July 16: In an interim charge-sheet filed in the court of a judicial magistrate on Monday, a police investigator recommended to the court to release a friend of the victim in a murder case for lack of evidence against her.

The investigating officer said that she informed the police about the murder and her help led them to arrest the suspects, recover the body of the deceased and seize an unlicensed weapon from the suspected killer.

Mansoor Mujahid, a film director, was detained for allegedly killing his friend, Faisal Nabi, in an apartment in Defence on the night between June 19 and 20. The film director’s friend, Anab Hameed, and the victim’s friend, Masuma Zainab Abidi, were held for allegedly abetting the crime.

The investigating officer, Mohammad Mobin, submitted the interim charge-sheet in the court through a prosecutor. He said Ms Abidi was an eyewitness to the murder. She cooperated with the police throughout the investigation and no solid evidence had been found against the deceased’s friend in order to link her with the offence, the IO said. He added that she had informed the police about the murder and her help had led to the arrest of the suspects, recovery of the body and the unlicensed weapon from the custody of Mr Mujahid.

The officer recommended to the court that she be released under Section 169 (release of accused when evidence deficient) of the criminal procedure code.

The IO charge-sheeted Mr Mujahid and his friend, Ms Hameed, for allegedly killing the victim and abetting the crime, respectively. He placed 26 prosecution witnesses in the interim charge-sheet.

The prosecutor in his scrutiny note opposed the recommendation to discharge her and said sufficient evidence was available against her in the crime.

The court will take up the matter for hearing on Wednesday and is likely to decide Ms Abidi’s fate.

A case was registered under Sections 302 and 34 of the penal code on a complaint of the deceased’s brother-in-law. —Staff Reporter