Man handed down life imprisonment for stabbing brother to death

A model court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the murder of his brother in 2020.

Asad Sohrab was found guilty of fatally stabbing his elder brother Qamar Sohrab at his shop in Quaidabad on September 20, 2020.

Additional Sessions Judge Niaz Hussain Soomro of the Model Criminal Trial Court (Malir) observed that the prosecution had successfully proved its charge against the accused and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for life.

The convict was also ordered to pay Rs100,000 as compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased.

The judge noted that before the commencement of trial, the court had ordered a mental health assessment of the accused because of his appearance and conduct. The accused was found to have history suggestive of bipolar affective disorder with episodic relapses upon stopping medication but there had been no psychotic symptoms affecting judgment or awareness of reality.

He said that Asad was found to be fit to stand trial.

According to state prosecutor Ghulam Mustafa Mahar, Asad attacked his elder brother Qamar with a knife at his shop in Quaidabad on September 20, 2020, leaving him critically injured. The victim later succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a private hospital.

The prosecutor contended that the prosecution had successfully proved the charge against the accused through both ocular and medical evidence. He stated that the accused had previously assaulted the victim with a knife, but no criminal proceedings were initiated at the time due to their sibling relationship.

He claimed that the accused had not been suffering from mental disorder or illness and was aware of his acts and consequences as reported by the medical board, therefore, act on the part of the accused showing himself to be mental patient would not be helpful for him or absolve him of the criminal act of killing his own brother.

In his statement recorded under the Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the accused denied the allegations levelled against him and prayed for acquittal. He said that he was suffering from mental disorder and remained in the psychiatric ward of jail for eight months.