Another FIR lodged after crystal meth found in Karsaz accident suspect’s blood sample

Another case has been lodged against a SUV female driver who was involved in the Karsaz road last month accident after methamphetamine (crystal meth) was found in her blood and urine samples.

Soon after the deadly incident, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) obtained the blood and urine samples of the accused woman, and the case was filed on behalf of the state based on the medico-legal report of the accused. The FIR registered at the Bahadurabad police station includes charges related to the use of prohibited substances. The police stated that samples taken from the woman confirmed the presence of a prohibited substance.

The medical report has been received, confirming the presence of methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice”, in the female driver’s body. Police officials mentioned that blood and urine samples were taken at Jinnah Hospital immediately after the accident.

On August 19, a high-speed car near Karsaz went out of control and ran over motorcyclists. In the accident, 22-year-old Amna and her 60-year-old father, Imran Arif, who were on a motorcycle, died on the spot.

Court permission

A Karachi court allowed the police to arrest and interrogate an SUV female driver who crushed two people to death near Karsaz on August 19 in a fresh case lodged after her medical report confirmed that she was under the influence of methamphetamine, also known as ice or crystal meth.

The woman was detained and booked under rash driving and manslaughter charges after a speeding luxury car, driven by her, rammed into three motorcycles and another car before overturning on Karsaz Road, killing Imran Arif and his daughter Amna and injuring three others.

On Saturday, the investigating officer, Muhammad Shakir Rind, filed an application before Judicial Magistrate (East) Javed Ali Korejo, seeking permission to arrest and interrogate the accused in a separate case lodged under Section 11 (drinking liable to tazir) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order (PEHO), 1979.

The IO stated that the accused was already in judicial custody in the Karsaz accident case. During the course of the investigation in the earlier case, medico-legal officer Dr Zainab Irshad issued a final medico-legal certificate of the accused, which confirmed that she had methamphetamine (ice) in her system at the time of the accident, he added.

The IO said the police filed the fresh case against the woman on the basis of her medical report. He also placed on record a copy of the FIR and medical report and requested the magistrate to permit the police to arrest and interrogate the accused in this case in jail.

The magistrate observed that "the Section 11 [of] PEHO 1979 is 'cognizable offence' per Section 16 of the said ordinance; therefore, the IO of this case is fully empowered to arrest the nominated accused” after adopting all legal formalities in prison through intimation to this court.

The woman is already detained in judicial custody at the Central Women Prison in the FIR.

The magistrate directed the senior superintendent of the Central Woman Prison to facilitate the investigating officer as per rules in order to arrest and interrogate the accused inside the jail "today before sunset".