Court releases man after 38 years of illegal detention

[Naveed Yaseen]

KARACHI: A district and sessions court of Karachi on Friday acquitted an accused after 38 years of no trial, no evidence, no record or a police file.

According to details, Artillery Maidan police arrested one Saeed-ul-Haq for the murder of an unidentified man on Jan 20, 1971. He was incarcerated and never put to trial till 1999 when Qadir Khan Mandokhel advocate toured the Central Prison Karachi and found that he was behind the bars for 28 years and was never produced before any court of law, nor any record of a case against him was available.

Despite absence of witnesses, record, a police file and other legal requirement, the accused faced a trial for 12 more years due to legal lacunas and the lethargic process, while he was ordered to be in custody of the Qadir Khan Mandokhel Trust at the Trust House.

The District and Sessions Judge, South, Faheem Ahmed Siddiqui, perused a report by police which stated that after a hectic search, no record or case file against the accused was available and there was no chance of finding any evidence, record or details of case against him.

The state prosecutor also expressed no objection to the application moved by the trust under section 25-K of CrPC on behalf of the accused.

The court ordered his acquittal allowing the plea. Saeed has lost speaking power and has no family.

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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg12_1