No conclusion reached in investigation against accused judge Bhutto

KARACHI: Investigation against accused Judge Imtiaz Bhutto could not reach any conclusion even after 40 days as the judge is not cooperating with the especially-constituted Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Hyderabad Police.

Investigation of the case was transferred from Jamshoro to Hyderabad on the request of accused Judge Bhutto, after he showed his no-confidence in the Jamshoro Police. But despite this, neither he appeared before the investigation team nor was ready for DNA test.

Bhutto accused of raping Salima Brohi has blamed the Sehwan Police of framing him in the case falsely.

On Saturday, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Jamshoro adjourned the hearing till February 28 and transferred the matter of conducting his DNA test to the court of Judicial Magistrate Sehwan.

On February 21, Bhutto requested the court to allow him to send his samples for DNA testing to a laboratory in the United States. However, the court said the permission could only be granted on the condition that he himself bore the cost.

At this, the accused judge refused to pay the charges, saying the provincial government should pay the bill.

The court later gave him the option of getting the samples tested at the Aga Khan University Hospital’s laboratories.

Head of Investigation Team DSP Aurangzeb Abbassi rejected the suggestion before the court, saying that as per the law, the test was only to be conducted at a government-authorized laboratory.

“If the judge doubts the authenticity of labs in Sindh, he can go to a government-authorised lab in another province,” the DSP said. In his report submitted to the court, Abbassi complained that Bhutto was not cooperating in the investigation.