SHC tells JIT head to ascertain correct version in Irshad Ranjhani murder case

The Sindh High Court on Friday directed the head of a joint investigation team to probe the versions of both parties in the Irshad Ranjhani murder case to ascertain as to which version is correct for investigation.

The direction came at a hearing of a petition filed by Ranjhani’s family seeking the constitution of a joint investigation team for probing his murder, and a counter petition filed by the union council chairman against the registration of case against him under the anti-terrorism law.

Petitioner Khalid Ranjhani submitted that his brother Irshad was killed by the Rahim Shah, a union council chairman from Malir, on February 8 in the limits of the Shah Latif Town police by falsely showing him as a bandit.

He submitted that the video clips circulated in the social media clearly showed that his brother was killed in cold blood by the UC chairman, but police did not arrest the accused under the anti- terrorism law.

The petitioner’s counsel said the accused was not being booked under the anti-terrorism law, and requested the court to arrest him in a FIR that was registered under the anti-terrorism Act and constitute a JIT for probing the murder.

Shah’s counsel submitted that his client also filed a petition against the inclusion of an anti-terrorism clause in the FIR and requested the court to hear his petition with the instant petition.

The court was informed by Khalid Ranjhani’s counsel that a joint investigation team had been constituted on an application and a direction may be issued to probe both versions of the FIRs. A division bench headed by Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar directed head of JIT to investigate both cases registered against each other by the petitioners and ascertain which version of the crime was correct for investigations in light of the Supreme Court’s directive in the Sughra Bibi case. The court disposed of the petition and directed the head of the JIT to submit a compliance report through a member inspection team for its perusal.

Unpaid fines

As many as 35 convicts were confined in various prisons of the province due to the non-payment of fines and compensation, gthe home department told the Sindh High Court.

Filing a report on a petition with regard to convicts who were languishing in jail for failing to pay up compensation amounts, the home department submitted that the total compensation (Arsh, Diyat and Daman) amounts were over Rs36.2 million, adding that there were 10 such convicts in the Central Prison Karachi, 14 in the Hyderabad prison, five in Sukkur, four convicts in Larkana and one each in the district prisons of Malir and Sanghar.

Earlier, the SHC had sought complete details about the convicts and prisoners confined in various jails of the province for the non-payment of compensation amounts.