Magistrate accepts final charge sheet against Karsaz accident suspect

A judicial magistrate has accepted the final charge sheet filed by the investigation officer (IO) against the Karsaz accident suspect and forwarded the case to a sessions court for trial.

The IO, Rehan Ahmed, charge-sheeted the female suspect for offences punishable under the sections 320 (punishment for causing death by rash or negligent driving), 337-G (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent driving), 279 (rash driving), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 322 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Section 100 (driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol) of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965.

She has been booked in two separate cases pertaining to charges of manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs.

Judicial Magistrate (East) Muhammad Raza Ansari observed that the IO had gathered sufficient material connecting the accused with the alleged offence. He accepted the charge-sheet and took cognisance of the alleged offence.

Noting that the offence of manslaughter and rash driving was exclusively triable by a sessions judge, the magistrate ordered that the record of the main case be sent to a sessions court after completing all the legal requirements.

On Thursday, the woman suspect along with her husband appeared before the court. The magistrate ordered the provision of copies of charge sheet in both the cases to her. He adjourned the drug case until October 22 when he expects to indict her.

The woman suspect was detained and booked under rash driving and manslaughter charges after a speeding luxury vehicle driven by her killed a man and his daughter and injured two others on Karsaz Road on August 19. Later, a separate case was lodged against her under the Section 11 (drinking liable to tazir) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order 1979 after her medical report confirmed that she was under the influence of methamphetamine, also known as ice or crystal meth.

She was released last week after the Sindh High Court granted her bail in the drug case. The suspect had already been granted bail in the main accident case by a sessions court after the victims' family pardoned her.