Court asks Armaghan whether he was subjected to police torture to which he responds that he had not been given food and that police had taken him to Balochistan where he was threatened with being shot, and he then suddenly collapses in courtroom
KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday extended the physical remand of Armaghan and Shehzar, the accused in the kidnapping and murder case of young Mustafa Aamir, for another five days.
The prime suspect collapsed in the courtroom during the hearing.
As the hearing the commenced, an investigation officer sought a 14-day extension in the physical remand of the accused.
The police presented the suspects Armaghan and Shehraz before the court upon the expiry of their previous remand.
The investigation officer submitted a plea along with a progress report, stating that the victim’s body was exhumed and samples had been sent for forensic analysis.
According to the report, the murder weapon was recovered based on Armaghan’s disclosure, and further interrogation was required.
When asked by the court about the need for an extended remand, the investigation officer stated that 62 laptops and multiple USB drives had been recovered which needed to be decrypted and sent for forensic analysis.
The court asked the prime suspect whether he had been subjected to police torture. Armaghan responded that he had not been given food and that the police had taken him to Balochistan where he was threatened with being shot. He then suddenly collapsed in the courtroom.
The police officials claimed that the suspect fainted after a signal from his father. The investigation officer informed the court that the suspects’ confessional statements under Section 164 needed to be recorded.
Defense lawyer Khurram Abbas argued that despite numerous claims, no official records had been presented. He also alleged that Shehraz was not being allowed to sign documents while the police were facilitating media interviews of the suspect.
The court remarked that the matter was between the defense and police communication.
The defense lawyer insisted that Shehraz had no role in the crime and should be sent to jail instead of being kept in custody. He further claimed that the police raided Shehraz’s house without a warrant and seized laptops.
After hearing the arguments, the court extended the physical remand of Armaghan and Shehzar for another five days. The judge also directed the investigation officer to submit a progress report on the next hearing.
The court ordered a medical examination of both suspects and directed the authorities to submit the medical report.
Meanwhile, the court also rejected the applications moved by Armaghan’s mother and Shehraz’s sister for meeting with them.
