KARACHI, July 4: The Sindh High Court directed on Thursday the SHO Malir Cantt police station to record statements of all concerned, including eyewitnesses and relatives of an alleged detainee, a young schoolteacher Shagufta Husain, and her neighbours, and hold an inquiry into the disappearance of the teacher.

A division bench, comprising Justice Anwer Zaheer Jamali and Justice Mujeebullah Siddiqui, was hearing a petition filed by Ms Rasoolan, the mother of the alleged detainee.

The SHO Malir Cantt police station, Tufail, appeared on behalf of the Sub- divisional Police Officer, Saadat Ali, who did not appear in the court due to the death of his mother last night.

The court ordered the SHO Malir Cantt to hold and inquiry into Shagufta’s detention and submit the report on July 19. The court directed that any clue to Shagufta and Asif, a man with whom police claim Shagufta is absconding, is found, the court be informed at the earliest.

Assistant Advocate-General Sindh Suleman Habibullah submitted that Asif and Shagufta, both wanted by police, were absconding. Police were searching them and if any clue was found or their arrest made, they would be produced in the court at the earliest.

Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel, Farkhunda Jabeen, submitted that a police party raided the petitioner’s house on September 26, 2001 and took away Shagufta with them on a charge of theft and she had been in the custody of police since.

According to the counsel, Shagufta’s mother met her daughter several times in lockup, but now police are denying her arrest and claiming that Asif and Shagufta are absconding.

She said Shagufta Husain, a schoolteacher, was first arrested on September 26, 2001 by the Airport police. She was remanded by a sessions judge, but on September 27, 2001 she was released on furnishing personal surety.

Later, the Malir Cantt police arrested her on September 29, 2001 and kept her under illegal detention so far, according to the counsel.

The court later adjourned the hearing to July 19.

The mother and sisters of the missing girl wept bitterly describing the statements by police officers as a blatant lie.

On Tuesday, the same bench gave a stern warning to police and said that all officers would be arrested if the missing girl was not recovered and produced in the court in the next two days.

The same bench also put off on Thursday the hearing of a bail application filed by a local businessman, Shaikh Ejazur Rahman, who is in the custody of the Regional Accountability Bureau.

The counsel for the detainee/accused, appearing in the court, submitted that his client had no connection with Alliance Motors or any other investment company.

The accused was alleged to have pocketed millions of rupees of poor investors.

The court called official assignee Bashir Memon, the official liquidator for Alliance Motors, and heard him.

The counsel for the applicant offered to pay the entire amount which was alleged to be the liability against his client till the disposal of all litigations.

The counsel submitted that the marriage ceremony of the accused’s youngest son was scheduled to be held on July 12, so he be released on bail.

The court then asked the Deputy Prosecutor-General of RAB to consider the release of the accused on parole.

The court put off the hearing to July 9, when the official assignee will submit a tentative liability against the accused.

BAIL GRANTED: A bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice S. Ali Aslam Jafri, allowed bail to two accused in a murder case on Thursday.

Khawaja Naveed Ahmed and Raza Hashmi, advocates, appeared for the applicants, Sheharyar and Javed Masih, accused of killing Bahadur Masih on 1-4-2000 in the police limits of Mehmoodabad.

Khawaja Naveed, the counsel for accused Sheharyar, submitted that the accused were not named in the FIR or in the statement under section 161 of CrPC.

He submitted that the murder was a blind murder and only an alleged eyewitness, Waseem alias William, could not be believed in the circumstances of the case. He further submitted that the parties had also patched up.

After hearing the counsel, the judge admitted both the accused to bail against a solvent surety of Rs200,000 each. — PPI/APP