LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Friday denied physical remand of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on graft charges and sent him to jail on judicial remand.

A team of the ACE presented the anchorperson before the magistrate at district courts and sought his physical remand for investigation.

The prosecutor told the court that the suspect and his father secured a contract of Dhrabi Lake in Chakwal in connivance with government officials at a throwaway price.

Mr Riaz rejected the allegation saying he had obtained the contract for over Rs40 million, adding that the previous contract of the lake had been given for Rs10 million only.

He said the contract was secured some eight years ago and the ACE registered the case in 2021. He asked the court to inquire the prosecution about the investigation made over the last three years.

“Whether the ACE investigated any government official in the case?” he questioned the bona fide of the prosecution.

Advocate Azhar Siddique asked the court to cancel the case against the anchorperson, saying the case was baseless and politically motivated.

Magistrate Imran Abid turned down the prosecution request for physical remand of Mr Khan and sent the anchorperson to jail on judicial remand.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2024