Karsaz Accident: Court Rejects Bail for Driver in Drug Case
A Karachi court has denied the bail application of the female suspect involved in the fatal Karsaz accident, related to a drug case. The Additional District and Sessions Judge (East), Shahid Ali Memon, issued the order on Friday, dismissing the suspect’s plea for bail.
This decision comes a week after the victims’ heirs pardoned the suspect, stating that the accident was unintentional and expressing no objection to her bail on the grounds of forgiveness. An affidavit submitted by the heirs during the hearing reflected their decision to pardon the suspect for the sake of Allah’s mercy.
Despite this, the Judicial Magistrate (East), Muhammad Raza Ansari, had previously rejected the bail plea, and the current court maintained this stance. The court’s order emphasized that drug users in such cases typically do not deserve bail, particularly noting the suspect’s British passport and driving license, which raised concerns about her potential to flee the country.
The court also mentioned that while the Anti-Narcotics Act was initially referenced in the case, it should have been addressed under the Control of Narcotic Substances (CNS) Act, which carries different penalties. The written order outlined that the punishment under the CNS Act would be one year with a fine, according to the defense lawyer.
The suspect’s lawyer criticized the judicial magistrate for allegedly overlooking evidence and argued that the suspect has been unjustly detained. The court noted that the public prosecutor stated the suspect was driving under the influence when she hit four people, resulting in two deaths and two injuries.
The court’s order reflected a cautious approach, balancing the severity of the drug charges and the potential for the suspect to abscond, despite the victim’s family’s pardon.
