SUV driver receiving psychiatric treatment at JPMC, court told

KARACHI: While a manslaughter case has been registered against the woman SUV driver who ran over and killed a man and his daughter in a traffic accident near Karsaz a day ago, police failed to produce the suspect in court on Tuesday on the ground that she was undergoing psychiatric treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) under custody.
The Bahadurabad police said that the suspect drove a Toyota Land Cruiser in an “extremely rash and negligent manner”, hit three motorcycles and a car, killing Imran Arif, 60, and his daughter Amna, 22, and wounding three others near Karsaz on Monday.
On Tuesday, the investigating officer of the case informed a judicial magistrate (East) that a JPMC doctor stated that she was “not in a good state of mind to appear before the court or undergo interrogation”.
The IO submitted a letter in court that asked JPMC’s psychiatric department in charge Dr Ghooni Lal to hand over the custody to the police for interrogation.
However, Dr Lal denied the request and stated that the suspect was “admitted to the psychiatry department for a detailed evaluation and investigations to reach a proper diagnosis. Currently, she is confused and not in a good state of mind to appear before the court or undergo interrogation”.
The IO also informed the court that he had to check the driving licence of the suspect and requested the court to give her 14-day police remand.
However, after hearing the IO and defence counsel, the court remanded the suspect in police custody for one day.
“Contentions of the investigation officer and perusal of the material available on record satisfies the court that for the purpose of remand u/s 167 Cr.P.C the physical custody of the accused is very much necessary but in this case, the physical custody of the accused has not been produced before the court and prima facie appears that accused is not in a position to be brought before the court at once without personal suffering and risk to health,” the court noted.
The court also directed IO to produce the suspect before the concerned judicial magistrate on Wednesday (today), on condition that she sufficiently recovers and is able to be produced.
“However, in case she doesn’t sufficiently recovers, the investigation officer may apply afresh to the concerned court for further orders,” the court said.
After the hearing, defence counsel Aamir Mansoob told the media that he had pleaded before the court that his client was a psychosis patient.
He said he argued before the court that the Pakistan Penal Code’s sections under which the FIR was registered are bailable, and his client be granted bail so that the required surety could be submitted.
Earlier, the Bahadurabad police registered a case against the suspect under Sections 320 (punishment for qatl-i-khata by rash or negligent driving), 337-G (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent driving), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the PPC on the complaint of Imtiaz Arif, brother of victim Imran.
Man, daughter laid to rest
Funeral prayers for the victim father and his young daughter were held in Gulzar-i-Hijri, Scheme-33 amid moving scenes. A large number of area people, family members and some politicians attended the funeral.
The family said that victim Imran Arif supplied papar on his motorcycle to various shops. On Monday, he went to pick up his daughter Amna from her office. They were heading home when the fast-moving SUV ran them over.
Amna worked at a private company while doing MBA from a private university.
Imran is survived by a daughter and a son.
Speaking at the funeral, city chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami Munam Zafar told the media that it was a tragic accident and his party was with the aggrieved family.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Alamgir Khan accused the police of ‘tampering’ with the case and said that the FIR should have been lodged on the charge of premeditated murder instead of manslaughter.
Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2024