KARACHI: A sessions court has dismissed the post-arrest bail application of one of the suspects in the Seaview ‘suicide’ case.

The body of Sara Malik, a 23-year-old employee at the veterinary hospital in DHA, was found near Farhan Shaheed Park at the Seaview on Jan 8. However, further investigations in the case led to the registration of a murder case under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Shan Saleem, owner of the hospital, and his business partner, Waqas, have been arrested on suspicion of their involvement in her murder. A third suspect, Bisma, has also been booked in the case.

The additional district and sessions judge (South) took up an application seeking a grant of post-arrest bail to Waqas. However, the judge dismissed his bail plea after hearing arguments from both sides.

In the meanwhile, the judge also recalled interim pre-arrest bail granted earlier to Bisma in this case.

Lawyers said she was taken into custody from the court.

Report sought on underage girl’s abduction

A judicial magistrate on Saturday directed an investigating officer to file a progress report on the whereabouts of a teenage girl, who allegedly had been kidnapped in Saeedabad.

Advocate Luke Victor submitted that his client’s 13-year-old daughter was allegedly kidnapped on Dec 27, 2022 in Mawachh Goth.

He stated that IO Fida Hussain had failed to trace the whereabouts of the minor girl, who was allegedly lured by a man into solemnising an underage marriage with him.

The girl was subsequently subjected to rape despite registration of an FIR on Dec 31, 2022, he added.

The counsel asked the court to call a progress report from the IO in terms of Sections 9 (warrant to search for child), 10 (temporary custody) and 19 (entrustment of custody of child victim) of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2016 read with Section 100 (search for person wrongfully confined) of the criminal procedure code.

A kidnapping case was registered at the Saeedabad police station on the complaint of the victim’s father.

The court asked IO Fida Hussain to submit the report by January 23 and adjourned the hearing.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023