KARACHI, Feb 17: A sessions court reissued on Tuesday bailable warrants for the arrest of the husband of a rape victim and other prosecution witnesses in a case pertaining to the gang-rape of an 18-year-old woman on the premises of Mazar-i-Quaid.

The court had issued a number of notices and warrants directing the prosecution witnesses to appear in court to record their testimonies. However, they did not appear.

On Tuesday when the case came up for hearing before the Additional District and Sessions Judge (east), Sanaullah Ghori, the prosecution witnesses were found absent. The judge re-issued their bailable warrants for March 2 and directed the police to produce the witnesses including the victim’s husband before him on the next date of hearing.

According to the prosecution, an 18-year-old woman was subjected to sexual assault after being kidnapped on the premises of the Mazar by around five unknown men on the night of March 15, 2008 and was found in an unstable condition outside the mausoleum on March 17, 2008.

On March 20, the police had arrested an assistant manager security of the mausoleum for his alleged involvement in the case. Later, on April 24 an accountant and a personal assistant to the resident engineer of the Quaid-i-Azam Management Board were arrested following the receipt of the DNA report that confirmed their involvement in the case. All the suspects were remanded in judicial custody.

A case (FIR50/08) was registered at Brigade police station under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (the section was inserted through the Protection of Women Act, 2006) on the complaint of the victim’s father.

Suspected militants remanded

A judicial magistrate (west) remanded three suspected militants belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan leader Baitullah Mehsood in police custody till Feb 28 for their alleged involvement in a drug case.

The suspects, Naekul Islam, Mohammad Rehman Meshud, and Farooq, were arrested along with their three associates during a raid on their hideout at Kanwari Colony in the Manghopir area on Feb 14 and the police also claimed to have recovered weapons from them.

A case was registered against the suspects under Section 6/9-C of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997.

Police said that the accused were involved in a number of cases including the Jan 15 Sohrab Goth shootout that left two policemen dead and many others wounded. On Feb 16, the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts in Karachi remanded all the six suspects in police custody in two cases pertaining to the Sohrab Goth encounter and possession of illicit arms.

Afreen Baig murder case

An additional district and sessions court (south) adjourned the hearing of the Afreen Baig murder case till Feb 24 on the request of the special public prosecutor.

The deceased’s husband, Farooq Mengal, driver Mohammad Bux and his wife Zahida, have been charged with the murder of the famous television actress-turned-producer. She was killed at her DHA residence in October 2004.

The court has declared Zahida an absconder in the case while the other two accused are in judicial custody.

A case (FIR163/05) was registered under Sections 302, 392, 337-F and 109/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Clifton police station.