Mufakhar, two others indicted in Tatla murder case

Published October 8, 2020
A sessions court on Wednesday indicted former senior superintendent of police Mufakhar Adeel and two others in the murder case of former assistant advocate general Shahbaz Tatla. — AP/File
A sessions court on Wednesday indicted former senior superintendent of police Mufakhar Adeel and two others in the murder case of former assistant advocate general Shahbaz Tatla. — AP/File

LAHORE: A sessions court on Wednesday indicted former senior superintendent of police Mufakhar Adeel and two others in the murder case of former assistant advocate general Shahbaz Tatla.

Additional District & Sessions Judges Arshad Javed directed the prosecution to present its witnesses on Oct 12 after the suspects pleaded not guilty, as charges were read before the court.

Other suspects include Asad Bhatti and Irfan Ali.

Naseerabad police had already submitted the case challan before the court, saying the suspects confessed their crime. It said the prime suspect, Mr Adeel, admitted that he disposed of the body of his lawyer friend, Tatla, in a plastic drum filled with acid. He later got the crime scene (a rented house) washed in order to remove any evidence of his offense, with the help of his accomplices.

Both Adeel and Tatla had gone missing on Feb 7, 2020. The police initially arrested Asad Bhatti, a common friend of the both, who during interrogation revealed how the crime was committed. The third suspect, Irfan Ali, was the owner of the shop from where the acid, used in the crime, was purchased.

The ex-police officer had surrendered to the police after a month of his mysterious disappearance.

The counsel for Mr Adeel denied the allegations and maintained that his client had not made any confession. He said the police failed to collect any evidence to establish that the former law officer was dead. He further said the statement of a suspect in police custody had no value in the eye of law as the courts rendered sentence on the basis of evidence only.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
Updated 22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

It would be a monumental mistake for the state to continue ignoring the violence in Kurram.
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

PAKISTAN has now registered 50 polio cases this year. We all saw it coming and yet there was nothing we could do to...
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...