Karachi victim in DHA assault case ‘forgives’ suspect but court rejects bail plea
A Karachi resident who was assaulted in the Defence Housing Authority earlier this week says he has forgiven the suspect and does not want to take the case to court, even as a judge rejected the suspect’s bail in a separate hearing.
On Monday, Karachi police arrested a main suspect along with two of his employees over charges of beating a citizen named Dheeraj. The suspect, identified as Salman Farooqi, was arrested from DHA and his vehicle was impounded.
Farooqi, who was travelling in a luxury car, allegedly assaulted a motorcyclist accompanied by a woman on the Khayaban-i-Ittehad Road following a minor accident.
A judicial magistrate on Tuesday remanded Farooqi and his guard, Owais Hashmi in police custody in the case. They were produced in court today by the police following the completion of their two-day remand.
Today, Dheeraj appeared in court and identified the suspect.
“I was not aware that the court had summoned me,” he said. “The lawyer told me today, so I appeared.”
The judicial magistrate asked Dheeraj whether he was facing any sort of pressure.
“It was my fault, my bike hit his car,” Dheeraj told the court.
“I do not want to file a case. I forgive the suspect,” he said, adding “Whatever the court decides, I will have no objection.”
Public Prosecutor Irfana Qadri told the court that a case had been registered against the suspect for threatening and humiliating a woman, identified as Dheeraj’s sister Kalpana.
“These are non-bailable charges,” Qadri said. The court reserved its verdict after the lawyers’ arguments.
In a separate hearing, however, Additional District and Sessions Judge Abdul Zahoor Chandio rejected the bail application filed by Farooqi and Hashmi.
A case had been registered against the suspects at the Gizri police station on the complaint of an eyewitness citizen.
Dheeraj filed a no objection certificate (NOC). However, the sessions court noted that the affidavit appeared to have been submitted under undue influence or coercion and did not accept the NOC.