IHC directs trial court to initiate legal proceedings against Usman Mirza’s accomplices
Zubair Qureshi
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a detailed verdict has given reasons behind turning down the bail application of the accomplices of the main character in the video blackmailing scandal saying the heinous act had a direct effect on society.
Perpetrators of such acts that are horrific and have a negative impact on society deserve no leniency, says the judgment.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC in a six-page judgment directed the trial court initiate legal proceedings against three accomplices of Usman Mirza, who have already been charge-sheeted for harassing, torturing and blackmailing a boy and a girl in Sector E-11.
While issuing a detailed verdict on the bail pleas of Farhan Shaheen, Hafiz Ata-ur-Rehman, and Mohammad Adaras, the IHC judge observed the three accused should be tried for attempting to drag the case by putting up petitions in the high court.
The court said three suspects have been named in the FIR and their offence was proved through forensic examination of the record.
The verdict read the suspects’ names cannot be excluded from the case as they were present at the crime scene.
The verdict said that the court was overseeing the role of the applicants at this point and rejected the petitions of an act whose fear directly affects society.
Justice Kayani said the suspects could not get leverage of late registration of the FIR neither it required any further inquiry.
He said that another suspect in the case, Umar Bilal, had been given bail as he was a student and was out of the apartment where the incident happened.
This is not a case of additional inquiry, the court held. Earlier on Sept 29, a Sessions court of Islamabad had formally charge-sheeted Usman Mirza and six other accused involved in harassing, torturing and blackmailing a boy and a girl in Sector E-11.
Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani indicted the seven suspects, including prime suspect Usman Mirza, in the Islamabad couple harassment case on Tuesday.
All the suspects, Hafiz Ataur Rehman, Farhan Shaheen, Adaras Qayyum Butt, Rehan Hassan Mughal, Umar Bilal Marwat and Mohib Bangash were handed charge-sheets. All the suspects denied committing the crime and accept the charge sheet.
The suspects were brought to the court from Adiala jail while excluding Rehan and Umar Bilal, who were on bail and they appeared in the court themselves.
Meanwhile, the court issued notices to 21 witnesses to record their testimonies on October 12.
