Attock, July 7, 2022 (Online): “Not a case of sufficient evidence which connects the accused Imran Riaz with the commission of the offence,” court order says senior journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan Imran Riaz Khan was arrested by Chakwal police on Thursday morning from the district judicial complex, immediately after the Attock police released him following the court’s order.
Mr Imran was taken into custody by the officials of Chakwal police personnel outside the courtroom where was presented by the Attock police despite the fact that earlier, the judge had rejected the Chakwal police’s request to hand over Imran Riaz to ttheir custody.
Reprimanding the Chakwal police on this occasion, the judge said that they had not adhered to the usual legal procedure. “Imran Riaz cannot be handed over to the Chakwal police,” the judge said in his verdict. However, the journalist voluntarily offered himself for arrest outside the courtroom.
Earlier, a local court in Attock on Thursday morning wrapped up the case against Imran Riaz Khan, ordering police to release him immediately if he was not wanted in any another case. The judge Yasir Tanveer issued the verdict after it was reserved at 3am in the today’s morning.
The case was dismissed due to lack of concrete evidence. The court delivered a 25-page verdict.
According the lawyer fertility of the Attock, it is only verdict announced around dawn in the over two hundred years old judicial history of the district. Interestingly, Mureed Abass- the complainant against the journalist was also not appeared in the court for the second consecutive
day.
“…..keeping in view the above said facts and circumstances and guidance from the above said case laws, at this moment the case in hand is not a case of sufficient evidence which connect the accused Imran Riaz with the commission of the offence as embodied in the crime report, therefore, the accused Imran Riaz Khan is hereby discharged from this case,” the judge stated in the eight-page order. “…..for clarification of judicial mind whether in this case sufficient material as alleged in the crime report as embodied in the said CD available or not? Therefore, the CD which was recovered by the police has run in open court and seen.
As per the recording of the CD the present accused being an anchorperson programmed in a private room and uploaded on his YouTube Channel. After hearing and seeing the whole CD at this stage it is found that the accused present in the court did not used any derogatory remarks or any other word which can be said that the accused committed the offences leveled in the FIR.” The verdict further maintained.
The order further states that Imran Riaz Khan be released forthwith if not required in any other case, adding that the police, however, after adopting legal procedures can investigate the matter further and if collects sufficient evidence, then they may proceed against but, strictly in accordance with law.
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