Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Atta Rabbani, while hearing the Noor Mukadam murder case on Wednesday vowed to take action against the Islamabad police if they had issued the clarification regarding the court proceedings on official basis.
Advocate Asad Jamal, the counsel for Zahir’s mother, Asmat Adamjee informed the court that inspector general (IG) of Islamabad Police had interfered in the justice system by issuing a clarification regarding court proceedings of the case on social media. He then asked the court whether the IG’s clarification could be made a part of the case record.
The IG posted on Facebook and Twitter Tuesday in an attempt to clarify that media misinterpreted the court proceedings pertaining to the cross-examination of the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case which created an impression as if the case was going in favour of the main accused Zahir Jaffer.
Upon Advocate Jamal’s request, the prosecutor Rana Hassan Abbas requested the court to kept the media rumors aside, however, the Judge who was oblivious of the IG’s statements, asked the lawyers to brief him about the development. “It is too bad if the police issued the clarification officially. I will take action against this,” the judge remarked.
After this counsel for Tahir Zahoor, owner of the ‘Therapyworks’, advocate Akram Qureshi cross examined IO Inspector Abdul Sattar.
SSP (investigation) of Islamabad Police Attaur Rehman was also present in the court during the hearing.
While answering questions of the defence lawyer, the IO said according to the CCTV footage, staff of the Therapyworks did not shift Zahir Jaffer to the vehicle.
The IO also admitted that he did not record the statement of Mudassar Aleem in the entire case. Instead, he recorded Mudassar Aleem’s statement in the name of Muhammad Mudassir but this mistake was not clarified in the police diary, said Abdul Sattar.
Regarding the handing over of three parcels containing a pistol and two finger prints, the IO said it’s true that he did not clarify in the police diary that he had handed over the parcels to ASI Muhammad Riaz, who was performing official duties of Muharrar as Head Constable Farasat Faheem was on leave on July 21. Wednesday’s hearing also covered cross-examination of the IO by Advocate Sajjad Ahmed Bhatti who was representing three domestic staff, Jan Muhammad, Iftikhar, and Jameel. He asked the IO whether he found in the CDR of Noor’s mobile that she called or sent SMS to anybody in the country during July 18 to July 20 to inform them about the life threats she had been receiving. The IO said that according the CDR, Noor did not convey anybody via call or SMS about the life threats.
Inspector Sattar also told the court that Noor’s father Shaukat Mukadam watched the CCTV footage along with the police personnel on the midnight of July 20 and 21 but he did not nominate the three domestic staff as accused persons by July 23.
