Man who shot dead wife in magistrate’s chamber remanded in police custody

A court on Tuesday granted three-day police remand of a man detained for allegedly shooting his estranged wife to death inside a judicial magistrate’s chamber on the premises of the City Courts.

Sikandar Sahto was taken into custody on Monday after he shot his wife Saima and hit his father-in-law Dadan Sahto with the butt of his pistol during the pre-trial hearing of the woman’s plea for khula (dissolution of marriage) inside the chamber of the Judicial Magistrate-XVIII (Central).

On Tuesday, the investigating officer produced the detained man before the Judicial Magistrate-XII (South) and sought his physical remand in police custody for investigation. The IO stated that the suspect shot his wife in the presence of a magistrate, adding that the woman later died during treatment at hospital. He said an unlicensed pistol used in the crime was seized from the suspect.

The police officer, therefore, requested the magistrate to grant his remand for the completion of investigation and other formalities. The magistrate however approved three-day remand of the suspect and directed the IO produce him on the completion of the remand along with an investigation report.

Initially, an FIR was lodged against Sikander under Section 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the City Courts police station. However, the IO later incorporated Section 302 (murder) of the PPC in the case. Another case was also registered against him under Section 23(i) of the Sindh Arms Act after he allegedly failed to produce the licence of the weapon used in the commission of the offence.