KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday extended the physical remand, by five days, of prime accused Armaghan in the Mustafa Amir murder case.
The court also extended the remand of co-accused Shiraz Bukhari alias Shavez and issued directives for conducting his medical examination.
The latest development in the case comes after police produced the accused before the ATC after the expiry of their four-day physical remand granted earlier on Tuesday.
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The case relates to the alleged kidnapping and murder of a BBA student, Mustafa, who had gone missing on January 6. The whole saga unfolded after Armaghan opened fire at a team of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) — a specialised unit of the Karachi police responsible for tackling cases related to murder and extortion — during a raid at his residence in Karachi’s DHA earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s body — found by police in a car near the Hub checkpost on January 12 and buried by the Edhi Foundation on January 16 — was exhumed on Friday by a three-member medical board under the supervision of a judicial magistrate.
The mortal remains have been handed over to the Edhi Foundation and will remain in their morgue till the DNA report comes to the fore.
The body, as per the judicial magistrate’s letter addressed to the rescue organisation, will be buried in the cemetery designated for abandoned, unclaimed bodies in case it does not match the family’s DNA.
Meanwhile, the scope of investigations has been expanded with AVCC contacting the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to ascertain the nature of the work carried out at the call centre discovered at Armagahan’s residence.
The FIA has also been tasked with probing funds related to the accused in the murder case.
In addition to this, the police’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) was investigating Armaghan’s involvement in the illegal drug trade.
Meanwhile, another team of AVCC has been dispatched to Balochistan, where it would collect details about the victim’s vehicle, the authorities added.
Suspect breaks down in court
The investigation officer (IO), during the proceedings today, requested the court to grant a 14-day physical remand of Armaghan for recording his statement.
The official further said that a forensic analysis also needs to be conducted on the weapons and laptops — of which the police have claimed to be 64 — recovered from the key suspect’s bungalow.
During the hearing, Armaghan reportedly collapsed in the courtroom, at which point the prosecutor general remarked that the suspect had collapsed in the same manner in the high court and ATC No II and maintained that he was found to be completely fit in his medical examination.
Complaining of mistreatment, Armaghan claimed that he was not allowed to eat.
When asked about whether Tahir Rehman Tanoli, who submitted the documents as a lawyer on behalf of Armaghan’s mother, was his counsel, the suspect responded in the negative and said he was earlier duped into signing the documents.
When asked by the court if he wished to speak, the suspect broke down in tears.
Informing the court that the blood stains found on the carpet at Armaghan’s residence matched with the Musatafa’s mother, the IO underscored that the key suspect was also an absconder in multiple cases registered at the Boat Basin, Darakhshan, Clifton and Sahil police stations.
The official further said that Armaghan was operating an illegal call centre and warehouse and the police had to investigate his other accomplices and question him regarding alleged money laundering as well.
Meanwhile, Advocate Khurram Abbas, representing the other suspect Shiraz, said his client had no connection with the case and the police had taken his laptop during the raid on Armaghan’s residence.
Following the conclusion of the hearing, the court extended the physical remand of both accused by five days.
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