Court grants 4-day physical remand of suspects in manhole tragedy case
A court in Lahore on Saturday granted to the police four-day physical remand of five suspects in Bhatti Gate tragedy case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The Force had prayed to the court to grant 14-day physical remand of Project Manager Asghar Sindhu, Safety In-charge Danial, Site In-charge Ahmad Nawaz, Salman Yasin and Usman, who were taken into custody for showing negligence that led to the deaths of a woman named Sadia and her 10-month-old baby girl who fell into an open manhole.
Counsel for the suspects, however, opposed the police’s request, saying that a cheque of Rs10 million had already been given to the victims’ family.
He said the incident was really unfortunate.
The suspects’ lawyer, on the occasion, showed to the court a photocopy of the cheque.
Deceased woman's husband tortured to extract confession
It has emerged that the police beat up the deceased woman’s husband in order to force him to confess that he had murdered his wife.
In the presence of the SP, the SHO uttered objectional words about the woman.
Committee releases report
On the other hand, a committee formed to probe the incident released its report which identified the police personnel who subjected the deceased woman’s husband to torture at the police station.
It also pinpointed those police officers who were found negligent.
SP City, SDPO and the SHO were found negligent.
The SHO was suspended for torturing the woman’s husband, while the DSP was issued a show-cause notice.
Mother, infant laid to rest
The woman and her 10-month-old baby girl were laid to rest in Shorkot.
A large number of people offered the funeral prayers.
On the other hand, the woman’s mother-in-law revealed that three, not two persons, lost their lives in the incident since Sadia was pregnant at the time of the incident.
On Thursday, 24News TV channel reported that hours after the body of the woman was found, the baby’s body was found as well.
The infant’s body was found from Saggian Pull.
On the other hand, the DG LDA on Thursday suspended the entire team working on the Data Darbar project after Punjab chief minister took notice of the lack of arrangements made for the safety of people at construction sites.
The contractor was issued a show-cause notice, while a notice was also issued to the resident engineer NESPAK.
According to reports, 24-year-old Sadia, a mother of three, who had come to Lahore from Shorkot along with her husband and mother-in-law, jumped into the gutter to save her baby, who fell into it at the time of boarding a rickshaw near Data Darbar.
On the other hand, family members of the deceased woman have said they are angered by the treatment meted out by the police to her husband, who was made to sit at the police station in connection with questioning for hours.
Rescue sources told the 24News TV channel that construction work was underway near Data Darbar.
They informed that at some places, the sewerage line was covered while at others it was not.
Possibly the incident took place due to darkness.
Earlier, 24News TV channel reported that on the orders of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Secretary Housing Noorul Amin Mengal suspended Deputy Director (DD) TIPA Shabbir Hussain.
Reporter Shaheen Attiq