An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday acquitted five policemen accused of negligence in the Sheikhupura murder case, wherein eight people were axed to death.
The court acquitted former Station House Officer (SHO) Narang Abdul Wahab Khan, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Latif, ASI Mushtaq Qureshi, ASI Muhammad Rafi and ASI Amarul Hassan after holding that the allegations of negligence could not be proved against them.
ATC Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar conducted the proceedings on acquittal application of the policemen, and announced the verdict after hearing arguments of the parties.The accused policemen also appeared before the court during the proceedings and got their attendance marked.
The policemen had filed the acquittal application, stating that the allegations of negligence were baseless and pleaded with the court to acquit them.
The police had registered a case against former SHO Narang Abdul Wahab Khan and four other policemen over charges of negligence and not taking timely action against the accused, Faiz Rasool, who allegedly killed eight persons with an axe.
The accused, Faiz Rasool, had reportedly been detained by police just days earlier after attempting to attack another citizen with an axe.
That citizen had remained unhurt after onlookers intervened and overpowered Rasool.
Police eventually released the suspect after his family pleaded that he suffered from mental illness.
Later, on October 8, the accused murdered eight men in and around Hachar village in Sheikhupura.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing of Sheikhupura murder case till March 7 and summoned more witnesses for recording their statements on the next date of hearing. The accused Faiz Rasool was also produced during the proceedings.
