CHITRAL: A local court on Tuesday awarded death penalty to five people in a triple murder case.

Additional district and sessions judge Mohammad Khan however exonerated five accused of the charge for lack of evidence.

Zafar Hayat, lawyer for the family of the deceased, told Dawn that Maqsoodul Mulk, his son Jahanzebul Mulk and Iqbalul Mulk helped by hit men Mian Gul Jan and Qayyum Khan of Damil area had killed relative Noorul Mulk, Samiul Mulk and Muazazul Mulk in Osiak Drosh area on May 4, 2014, over a land dispute.

He said the court had convicted the accused of the murder charge and ordered their hanging until death besides imposing Rs1 million fine on each of them.

Court also imposes Rs1m fine on each of them

The lawyer said the amount of fine would be distributed to the heirs of the deceased.

He said the accused had confessed to the crime in the court, while the evidence produced by the prosecution also confirmed it.

Mr Hayat said convict Mian Gul Jan had fled to Afghanistan along with his sons after the murder and was caught by the police on return in 2015.

He said the accused including Syed Imtiaz Jan, Baberul Mulk, Israel Khan, Ramdad Khan and Gul Mohammad were also booked in the case but the court exonerated them of the charge for lack of evidence.

The lawyer said the case was the first of its kind in Chitral as three persons of a family were killed by own family members.

He said the court rejected the main convict’s claim that the deceased had fired gunshots at him and he had only retaliated for self defence.

The police arrested the main accused in the courtroom. He was also awarded five-year rigorous imprisonment for keeping illegal weapons.

ACCIDENT KILLS POLICE OFFICER: Police inspector Sultan Baig alias Dabang died in a road accident here on Tuesday afternoon.

The accident occurred on Chitral-Garam Chashma Road in Bokhtuli village as the vehicle driven by Mr Baig plunged into a deep ravine.

A minor boy accompanying the inspector suffered injuries and was admitted to the DHQ Hospital, where his condition is said to be critical.

Mr Baig was later laid to rest in native village Hinjil with full honour and protocol after his funeral prayer was offered at the District Police Lines.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2018