Mustafa Amir murder suspect sent to police custody in journalist attack case

An anti-terrorism court on Friday granted four-day police remand of Armaghan, the primary suspect in Mustafa Amir murder case, in another case pertaining to an armed attack on a journalist last year.

Armaghan, who has already been in police custody in the kidnap and murder case, has now been booked by the Bahadurabad police for allegedly shooting and injuring TV reporter Nadeem Ahmed outside his office on Tipu Sultan Road on November 19, 2024.

On Friday, the investigation officer (IO), Amir Altaf, presented the suspect before the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) and sought his four-day physical remand for interrogation. He said the suspect was required to be interrogated about the crime weapon and corroborative evidence.

When the judge asked Armaghan if he had been maltreated by the police, he claimed that he was tortured on his arm and neck with burning matchsticks. However, he failed to show any marks or signs of torture before the court.

The judge noted that the suspect was not named in the FIR but was identified by the complainant through some social media posts showing his arrest in other cases. He added that the victim later went to the police station and upon his identification, the suspect was subsequently arrested in connection with the present case.

He observed that the suspect was alleged to have committed a heinous offence punishable under the Section 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with the Section 7 (acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

"The nature of offence and the circumstances surrounding the accused's identification necessitates custodial interrogation and recovery," he said. The court handed over Armaghan's custody to the Bahadurabad police for four days with a direction to the IO to conduct the investigation strictly in accordance with the law.

The IO was further told to ensure that the suspect was not subjected to any undue coercion or maltreatment. "The accused has the right to meet legal counsel and family as per law," the judge said and directed the police officer to submit a progress report on the next date of hearing.

The FIR was lodged at the Bahadurabad police station on the complaint of the TV reporter, who stated that on November 19, 2024, at around 9:15 pm, as he reached his office, a speeding double-cabin vehicle suddenly applied the brakes, causing dust and dirt to scatter onto him. When he confronted the driver about his reckless driving, the driver got out of the vehicle and opened fire on him with the intention to kill in a fit of rage, he said, adding that he suffered a bullet wound in the leg. The unidentified driver also opened fire on his colleagues who rushed out of the office on hearing gunshot to spread terror before fleeing the spot.