An Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday rejected a plea to transfer the high-profile murder case of Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar, who was allegedly killed in a fake police encounter, to a Sessions Court, ensuring the proceedings will continue under the stringent anti-terrorism laws.
The court announced its reserved verdict on two separate pleas filed by the accused for the transfer of the case. The rejection of the plea marks a significant development in the legal proceedings against several police officials.
The incident occurred on October 19 of last year when Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar was killed in a fake police encounter in Sindhri. A day before his murder, a blasphemy case had been registered against the doctor in Umerkot.
Following the incident, the Sindh Home Minister ordered an investigation, which resulted in a murder case being registered against 23 individuals. Multiple law enforcement personnel are implicated in the matter, including two former senior police officers.
Currently, six police officials are under arrest on murder charges, while twelve other accused are on interim bail. Five accused are still at large.
The court has formally declared former DIG Mirpurkhas Javed Jaskani and former SSP Asad Chaudhary as proclaimed offenders for their continuous evasion of legal proceedings.