KARACHI: A model court acquitted on Tuesday a woman in a narcotics case.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Liaqat Ali Khoso of the Model Criminal Trial Court (Central) exonerated Syeda Bakht Zehra from the charge of possessing five kilograms of hashish.

The judge pronounced his verdict reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The court noted that the prosecution failed to prove charges against the accused. She was neither identified by the prosecution’s witnesses before the court nor the prosecution claimed recovery of the contraband from her as alleged by the complainant, it added.

The judge acquitted the accused by giving her the benefit of the doubt. The court directed prison authorities to release her forthwith if her custody was not required in any other case.

The judge also directed the office to send a copy of the judgement to the SS-Investigation (Central) for taking necessary action against the prosecution witnesses for damaging the case.

The court kept the case against the absconding accused dormant till his arrest or surrender.

Earlier, state prosecutors Shakeel Ahmed and Kubra Syed argued that complainant Inspector Muhammad Naeem had arrested Syeda Bakht Zehra from the PMT Street in Sector 1/B/1 in the Ajmer Nagri neighbourhood on the evening of Aug 15, 2021.

They alleged that during a search different packets containing around five kilograms of charas were recovered, “which were thrown by absconding accused”.

The prosecution examined four police officials as witnesses before resting its side.

In her statement, the accused denied the allegations and pleaded her innocence. She alleged that the police had implicated her in a false case.

A case was registered under Sections 6 and 9(C ) of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997 at the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police station.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2022