KARACHI, Oct 29: Fingerprints collected from the residence of the fashion designer who was found murdered there on Aug 30 are unfit for analysis, sources quoting the fingerprint report told Dawn on Wednesday.

As Sheikh Amir Hassan’s murder case came up for hearing in a district court on Wednesday, the investigation officer submitted the final charge-sheet containing the statements of three witnesses and a confessional statement of a suspect recorded by the police.

Most of the points covered in the interim report were repeated in the final charge-sheet. Judge Arjan Ram K. Talreja of the district and sessions court (south), who is conducting the trial, accepted the charge-sheet and adjourned the hearing till Nov 14.

Two brothers, Ameer Hamza and Mohammad Saad Farooq, who are facing trial for their alleged involvement in the designer’s murder, will be provided a copy of statements and documents on the next hearing. The two brothers were arrested from a place near Zamzama Park in Clifton on Sept 3.

The designer was found shot dead in his Defence Phase V residence, where he lived alone. A murder case (FIR 215/2008) was registered under Section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Clifton police station on the complaint of the deceased’s brother, Jalal Hussain.

According to the charge-sheet, the driver-cum-servant of the deceased, Mohammad Tariq, in his statement recorded under Section 161 of the criminal procedure code, told the police that he saw a long-haired man along with another person sitting in a car parked in front of the victim’s house when he came out to offer the morning prayers at around 6am.

It’s worth mentioning here that one of the suspects is said to have worn long hair once.

According to the call record of Mr Hassan’s cellphone, he had received a last call from a SIM (subscriber identity module) registered in the name of Ajay Kumar, who is a neighbour of the suspects and said in his statement that he sold his SIM to Mr Hamza about a year ago but the latter had not got it transferred to his name, the charge-sheet said.

The charge-sheet added that the third witness, Waqas, a friend of the suspects, said that he asked his friend Ameer Hamza why he had trimmed his hair and why his cellphone had lately been off, Mr Hamza said that he was under tremendous stress because of his involvement in the murder of Mr Hassan.

The prosecution described the gun recovered from the custody of the suspects as a murder weapon. However, it has not yet submitted in court the relevant ballistic report.

The police claimed that they had recorded the confessional statement of Ameer Hamza, who admitted to killing Mr Hassan. The suspect told the police that the fashion designer had tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to sexually abuse him, and later he with the help of his brother murdered the designer.

Meanwhile, an additional district and sessions court (Malir) recorded the testimony of two prosecution witnesses in a murder case registered against Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed and others.

On July 30, 2002, Zubair Ali, son of Mashooq Ali, along with his mother, Rafiqun Nisa, was coming to their home in Nazimabad in a cab, when they heard gunshots fired in the area. He along with his mother turned towards his sister’s house and when they reached Ammar Yasir Society near Lilly Town, three to four unknown persons allegedly opened fire at their cab injuring his mother and the taxi driver, Kafiluddin. The complainant took his mother to Al-Mustafa Trust, while Kafiluddin was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where he succumbed to his injuries.

A case (FIR No144/2002) was registered against Afaq Ahmed, Amir Khan and others under Sections 302, 324, 109/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Malir City police station. The complainant stated that the firing took place on their behest.

Judge Mohammad Siddiq Abbasi, who is conducting the trial inside the central prison, recorded the statements of the father of the deceased, Mohammad Asif, and complainant Zubair Ali. Later, the court put off the hearing till Nov 15.