KARACHI, Sept 6: A civil judge and judicial magistrate, south, extended on Saturday the police remand of two brothers till Sept 9 in the murder case of a famous fashion designer.

The investigation officer produced the suspects in court and sought extension in the remand for further interrogation. He also submitted an application in court and requested the judge to summon witnesses and record their statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The court would hear the testimonies of the witnesses on the next date of hearing.

Police with the help of the record of the deceased’s cellular phone had arrested 23-year-old Ameer Hamza Awan and 20-year-old Mohammad Saad Farooqui on Sept 3.

According to the prosecution, the bullet-riddled body of fashion designer Sheikh Amir Hussain, son of Javed Hussain, was found in the small hours of Aug 30 inside his house, where he was living alone.

The investigators claimed that suspect Ameer Hamza, during the preliminary interrogations, disclosed that he with the help of his brother killed Sheikh Amir as the deceased had sexually abused him by giving a heavy dose of tranquillizers in juice, adding that he had met Amir around three years ago. Since then they had become friends and the deceased had offered to make him a model.

The weapon used in the murder was also recovered, they added.

A case (FIR No 215/08) was registered under Section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Clifton police station on the complaint of the deceased’s brother, Jalal Hussain.

Kidnap case

The civil judge and judicial magistrate, south, Ashraf Hussain Khawaja, remanded three suspects in police custody till Sept 9 in a kidnap case.

Hassan Ahmed, Rafique and Khaqan Javed Qazi were arrested for allegedly kidnapping Mohammad Shakir from Defence Phase IV for ransom.

The suspects were on their way when Gizri police intercepted them. However, they instantly fled leaving behind the captive and the car. The police later managed to arrest the suspects. A car with a government number plate, arms, two uniforms and ID cards of a major were recovered from their possession.

A case (FIR No 331 and 325/08) was registered against the accused under Sections 365 and 170, 171, 419/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Gizri police station. The two other suspects, Umer Hayat and Nasir, were still at large.

Couple’s murder

An additional district and sessions court recorded the statement of the father of the bank manager who along with his wife was found shot dead in their Taiser Town residence on November 21 last year.

Zameer Ahmed Khan deposed that his son, Kashif Ali Khan, and daughter-in-law, Mehwish, were residing in a house in Surjani Town. Their neighbour informed him about the incident, he said, adding that people told him about the involvement of Asadullah and his relatives in the couple’s murder case. He said the possibility of Asadullah’s involvement could not be ruled out since he had a friendship with his son.

The accused, Asadullah, and his wife, Rashida, were indicted on August 5 on murder charges. However, they pleaded not guilty and the court summoned prosecution witnesses to record the statements on Sept 13.

Defence counsel Maqbool-ur-Rahman, meanwhile, has moved a bail application of Rashida which would be taken up on the next date of hearing. Surjani Town police had registered a case (FIR No 384/07) of murder under Section-302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on behalf of the state when the relatives of the deceased refused to lodge a case.

Imprisonment

A judicial magistrate, south, has awarded two-year imprisonment to a man for possessing an illegal weapon.

The judge pronounced the verdict after recording final arguments from both sides. The court also imposed a fine of Rs1,000. In case of non-payment of the fine the accused would have to undergo an additional one month imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, police had arrested Barkat Ali on suspicion in Kalakot police limits on June 10, 2005 and recovered an illegal weapons from his possession. A case was registered under section 13-D of the Arms Ordinance against the accused at Kalakot police station.