Verdict in student attack case reserved

LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday reserved the verdict on an intra court appeal of accused Shah Hussain challenging the order of day-to-day conducting his trial for stabbing his class fellow.

Earlier, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi on June 9, had dismissed the constitutional petition of the accused by holding that the day-to-day trial would not deprive the accused of his any legal right. The judge had observed that the day-to-day proceedings would be of great help to prove his innocence within days.

The accused challenged the May 23 administrative order of Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of directing a judicial magistrate to conclude the trial in stabbing case of a law student, Khadija Siddiqui, within a month. Accused Shah Hussain’s counsel took the plea that it was a case of an ordinary nature and there was no urgency to conduct the trial on day-to-day basis. He prayed to declare the chief justice’s administrative order illegal.

The chief justice earlier had sought a report from Lahore district & sessions judge about progress in this attempt to murder case of a law student.

After submission of the report, the chief justice ordered judicial magistrate Mubashir Hussain Awan to hold the trial proceedings on a day-to-day basis and conclude it within 30 days. The chief justice also directed the director general of district judiciary to keep the LHC updated with the progress of the case by submitting weekly reports.

Khadija Siddiqui, a student at a private law college, was allegedly attacked by her class fellow Shah Hussain on May 3, 2016, near the Shimla Hill where she along with driver had gone to pick her younger sister from school. Both sisters were about to get into their car when a helmet wearing suspect attacked Khadija with knife and stabbed her 23 times leaving her critically injured.

The Civil Lines police had registered a case against Shah Hussain on charges of attempted murder. The suspect, son of advocate Tanvir Hashmi, was on post-arrest bail.