Court denies bail to accused in journalist’s murder case

PESHAWAR: A court on Wednesday dismissed the bail application of the principal accused in the murder case of a journalist.

He had been absconder since 1990. The District and Sessions Judge Peshawar, Muhammad Younas, dismissed bail application of the main accused Suhail Khan after hearing arguments from both the parties.

The University Campus Police had arrested the accused on November 20 after the court dismissed his bail before arrest application.

He was the accused in the murder case of young journalist Mansoor Khan.

The accused had attacked the journalist with acid at the University of Peshawar. Mansoor Khan had sustained burn injuries and had expired after fighting for life for several days at the Khyber Teaching Hospital.

Mansoor Khan’s brother Manzoor Khan said the murder was committed in 1990 and the accused was arrested after 28 years.

He said his family was hoping that the police would show no further complacency in the case and the joint investigation team would ensure that justice was done.

Hussain Ali appeared for the deceased journalist in the case. Senior lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi represented the accused in the bail petition.

Counsel for the accused submitted that he was charged later in the case and should be released on bail.

However, counsel for the complainant, Hussain Ali, submitted that the accused in a statement recorded under section 161 CrPC had confessed to the crime.

He argued that according to the medical report submitted by a doctor from Chitral, who treated the accused, there were injuries of acid burns on the body of the accused that he suffered during scuffle with the deceased.

He said the statements of the witnesses also proved that Suhail was the prime accused in the case. He remained absconder in the case for more than 28 years, and requested the court to dismiss his bail petition.

As per the previous order in the case, the trial court had declared Suhail Khan proclaimed offender on June 9, 1996 after he remained an absconder in the case.

“From the case file it was revealed that statements already recorded by the resident magistrate Peshawar indicate that a strong prima facie case has been made out against the absconding accused Suhail,” the order stated.

It added that the perpetual non-bailable arrest warrants had been issued against the absconding accused and the case file was to be kept intact till the arrest of the accused.

Mansoor Khan was the staff reporter of Daily The Democrat. He had also worked for The Frontier Post, Peshawar. He also remained associated with the Peshawar Bureau of the daily The Muslim. He was a promising journalist who did some work for the foreign media as well.