A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Wednesday granted bail to Samina Shah, the mother of prime suspect Shahnawaz Amir in the Sarah Inam murder case, against the surety of Rs1 million.
Sameena was arrested on October 19 by the Islamabad police for allegedly facilitating Shahnawaz in the murder. Her bail plea was rejected multiple times after she failed to prove allegations against herself in the murder case.
Shahnawaz allegedly killed his wife Sarah at home after a row over a family issue on September 23.
Shahnawaz — who was detained by the police from a farmhouse in Islamabad’s Chak Shahzad area for being a suspect in his wife’s murder — confessed to committing the crime and said that he “thought” his spouse was having an affair with someone else. The couple was married for just three months.
In the police report registered following the murder, an additional clause of Section 109 (punishment for abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code was added at the request of Sarah’s uncles — Colonel (retd) Ikram and Zia-ur-Rahim — who have blamed Amir and his former wife for their niece’s murder.
The petitioners maintained that Sameena has been living at the farmhouse where Sarah was murdered.
Today’s hearing
At the outset of the hearing, Sameena’s lawyer said that the suspect informed the police about the incident.
“The suspect cooperated with the police in the investigation and even reached the police station,” he added.
He said that the suspect did not commit any crime and the police did not find anything from her.
At this, the petitioner’s lawyer said that every citizen is responsible to inform the police of a crime as per the Constitution.
“The suspect was present at the crime scene and was not the first one to inform the police,” he remarked.
He said that the suspect knew that the victim was present at the house as per the records. “The record shows that the victim was kept at home against her will,” he said.
Sameena’s lawyer said that she cooperated in the investigation and did not cheat.
However, the lawyer representing the complainant requested to cancel the bail application.
The court reserved the verdict on Sameena’s bail plea and later announced it, ordering her release on bail. It also ordered her to submit Rs1 million as surety against the bail.
