Ex-judge, accomplice get death for teen’s murder
KARACHI: A Pakistani court has found a former judge and his accomplice guilty of killing the young son of another former judge and sentenced them to death.
Si kan darla shari an dir fan bengali had been charged with murdering 19-year-old Aqib Shahani, the son of former judge Khalid Shahani, in the city of Hyderabad. The verdicts were announced in open court on Saturday.
Pakistani media have reported that Aqib Shahani was in love with Lashari’s daughter but Lashari was against the relationship.
More than 20 witness est est ii ed against them and authorities said they confessed to the crime during the investigation.
Prosecutors say the young Shahani was travelling with his mother and two sisters in a car when gunmen blocked his way. They dragged Shahani out of the car and shot him to death on Feb.19, 2014. Four suspects are still wanted.
Aqib aka Kashif was driving his car when gunmen in another vehicle intercepted him on Thandi Sarak, got him out and sprayed him with bullets. His mother, two sisters and a cousin were with him in the car.
His cousin, Hunain Hussain, later lodged the case with police against unidentiied culprits.
On Feb.26, 2014, the victim’s family moved an application requesting the court to grant permission under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) to prosecute Lashari for the teenager’s murder. Four suspects including Ghulam Abbas Siyal and Barkat Lashari are absconding in the case.
The statements of at least 22 witnesses were recorded over the course of the case proceedings. In September 2017, an ATC had rejected an application of Lashari seeking the transfer of the murder case to a sessions court for trial.