KARACHI: Police have filed a charge sheet against the Karsaz traffic accident suspect before the court of a judicial magistrate in a drugs case.

The investigating officer stated in the charge sheet that suspect Natasha Danish was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser on August 19 under the influence of drugs and had killed two people while wounding three others in an accident near Karsaz.

The IO, Sub-Inspector Shakir Rind, filed the investigation report through a deputy district public prosecutor in the court and listed 13 prosecution witnesses, including police officials, chemical examiners and medico-legal officer (MLO) in the charge sheet.

The investigation report also said that blood and urine samples of the suspect were submitted to the office of chemical examiner on Aug 21 since the provincial government had declared a public holiday on Aug 20 on account of the annual urs of Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

SHC will take up suspect’s post-arrest bail application tomorrow

The report of chemical examiner and final medical report of MLO/police surgeon have confirmed that the suspect was under the influence of methamphetamine (Ice) at the time of incident and, therefore, the present case was lodged under Section 11 (drinking liable to tazir) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979, it added.

The IO further stated in the charge sheet that initially, a judicial magistrate had dismissed the bail application of interned suspect on Sept 9 while a sessions court had also turned down similar application on Sept 12 in the instant case.

According to the evidence collected so far, including medical reports and testimonies of witnesses recorded under Section 161 of Criminal Procedure Code as well as circumstantial evidence, an offence under Section 11 of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order has been established against the suspect, the charge sheet concluded.

Initially, the suspect was arrested and booked under various provisions of Pakistan Penal Code for recklessly driving and killing 60-year-old Imran Arif and his 22-year-old daughter Amna and injuring three others in the accident.

Later, another FIR was lodged against her after medical reports had confirmed that she was under the influence of methamphetamine (Ice) at the time of incident.

On Sept 6, a sessions court had granted her post-arrest bail on the main case related to accident after lawyer for complainant did not oppose the bail after legal heirs of deceased persons “pardoned” her in the name of Almighty Allah.

However, after dismissal of her bail twice from lower judiciary in drug case, the suspect through her lawyer approached the Sindh High Court and the post-arrest bail application is fixed for hearing before the SHC on Monday (tomorrow).

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024