Bail denied to accused involved in murder over land dispute

LONDON: Additional Session Judge Gujrat Zafar Iqbal has denied bail to the murder accused who had allegedly killed a man whose family lives in Paris and London, over a land dispute.

Khurram Shabir, whose family reside in London and Paris, was fatally shot on August 28, 2023 allegedly by Raja Muhammad Kaleem, in the presence of Raja Muhammad Raheel, his brother Muhammad Adnan, nephew Usama Nisar, and another nephew Khurram Shabbir on their ancestral land near Jinnah Colony, Fatehpur, Sarai Alamgir.

The overseas family has alleged that the accused, armed with a firearm, attacked them and killed Khurram Shabbir. A demonstration was held by the family in Paris, attended by around 100 Pakistanis, to seek attention of the Punjab government in the case.

Raja Muhammad Kaleem has denied killing Khurram Shabir and instead blamed Shabir’s uncle but the court has found that evidence gathered so far shows that he should not be given bail.

The police started a case against Raja Muhammad Raheel after a new investigation report, contradicting the original report, accusing him of killing his nephew. The police had launched a new investigation on accused request. Accused’s counsel contended that there were bullet marks on Kaleem’s car, which means he was the victim and not the aggressor. The court however declared that new investigation report was not binding upon it.

On November 23, Additional Session Judge Gujrat Zafar Iqbal rejected the bail application by the murder accused on the grounds that “that entire role is attributed to him his presence at the spot and making firing are not denied” in the investigation and “even recovery of weapon of offense has been affected from him and report of forensic analysis is positive. The judge stated that the medical legal evidence and recoveries of weapons are against him.

The judge noted, “It is worth mentioning that trial against him has commenced and the examination-in-chief of six witnesses of the prosecution has been recorded. The court is to determine his innocence or guilt after completion of evidence of the prosecution in trial and the ipsi dixit of police is not binding upon the court.” The court denied the bail as “sufficient incriminating material has been collected against him to connect him with the commission of crime”.

The family elder Raja Muhammad Raheel and the deceased’s mother Azra Shabbir have filed a complaint with Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission.

Azra Shabbir said: “Khurram Shabbir was my only son. He was the father of four young children. His killing had devastated all of us. We need justice. We request the Punjab CM to look into our case on merit.”

Raja Muhammad Raheel, from Paris, has been on the police bail ever since the new police report nominated him in the case.

Three investigations were conducted against the plaintiff Raja Muhammad Raheel. In all three investigations, the accused Raja Kaleem was found guilty. The challan was submitted in the court on 12-10-2023. On 04-06-2024, the investigation was transferred to the office of the IG Punjab, which was transferred to the office of the additional IG Punjab, which was transferred to SSP Malik Tariq Mahboob and DSP Hamid Bajwa regarding which the plaintiff filed a writ petition in High Court Rawalpindi in the form of writ number 2134/24 against the police for alleged poor investigation and lack of confidence. The IG Punjab was again directed by the court to hear the plaintiff’s case himself and decide on the merits.

The plaintiff again approached the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi, which filed No. 3464/24, which was marked by the High Court to the trial court. The accused Raja Kaleem applied to the Magistrate Sarai Alamgir to discharge the case, which was dismissed by the Magistrate.