Police guard handed down life term for killing former Peshawar DIG’s son

A district and sessions court on Wednesday sentenced a former police guard to life imprisonment for murdering the son of a former police officer in Defence Housing Authority over a monetary dispute three years ago.

Faqeer Muhammad was found guilty of strangling to death Umair Sahab, 25-year-old son of then deputy inspector general of police Shahab Mazhar Bhalli, within the remits of the Darakhshan police station in April 2017.

The accused was posted as a guard at the residence of Bhalli, who was then posted as the DIG Peshawar, in DHA Phase-VI. According to the prosecution, he strangled Bhalli’s son Umair to take revenge after Bhalli refused him a loan of Rs200,000. The defence counsel denied the allegations and claimed innocence on the part of the accused and pleaded for acquitting him of the charges levelled by the prosecution.

He said that his client was falsely implicated in the case. However, the prosecutor argued that there was sufficient evidence against the accused. He requested the court to punish the accused strictly in accordance with the law.

District South Additional Sessions Judge Faraz Ahmed Chandio, who conducted the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, pronounced his verdict that had been reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both the sides. The judge observed that the prosecution had proved the charge against the detained accused beyond any reasonable shadow of doubt and sentenced him to life imprisonment.