Suspect ‘who caused woman to kill herself’ seeks post-arrest bail

A model court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a bail application moved by one of the six suspects jailed in a case pertaining to alleged blackmailing of a woman that inducing her to commit suicide.

The Model Criminal Court – Central judge put off the hearing till May 3, seeking arguments from the prosecution on the bail application filed by an interned suspect, Irtiza.

Six suspects were booked for their alleged involvement in blackmailing and harassing a 41-year-old married woman who killed herself by hanging herself with her dupatta from a ceiling fan.

The investigation officer said the suspects were arrested in connection with the victim’s death. He added that the woman in her last audio messages to a friend had named the suspects saying that they had been harassing her.

On a previous hearing, a judicial magistrate had remanded the suspects, Shahid, Asad, Irtiza, Farhan, Waqas and Amir to jail in judicial custody, seeking the charge sheet against them.

Irtiza through his counsel moved an application in the court, seeking post-arrest bail. He contended that he was innocent and was falsely implicated in the case. His attorney also submitted copies of the case documents in the court.

The judge adjourned the matter till Monday, directing the prosecution to appear on the next hearing to submit their arguments after which the court would decide the fate of the application.

Initially, the family had told the police that the woman had committed suicide due to the unemployment of her husband; however, the case took a new turn after police got hold of the deceased’s audio messages prior to her death.

“I am being harassed by the boys in the neighbourhood and my phone number was also leaked. People are calling and threatening me to meet,” she said in one of the audio messages. “Some boys scammed me and made my fake marriage video as well as compromised videos and later made it viral on the internet. I cannot see my children being murdered.”

The case has been registered under the sections 322(Qatl-bis-sabab) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Shahrah-e-Noorjehan police station on the complaint of the victim’s husband.