Chief Justice LHC wants verdict in Zainab’s case within seven days of challan


The Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Thursday ordered the judge hearing Zainab’s rape and murder case to announce a verdict within seven days after a challan is presented in the court.

Zainab murder case: Legal experts say DNA is admissible evidence

According to Express News, the LHC DG Directorate of the District Judiciary also sent a letter in this regard to the ATC judge Sheikh Sajjad Ahmed.

Justice Shah also asked the judge to continue hearing the case of the eight-year-old minor on a daily basis and later announced a verdict, according to the law, within seven days of the challan.

Amid tight security, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) yesterday was remanded for 14 days in the custody of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which also will probe his involvement in the similar murder of seven other minor children.

The accused, Imran Ali, who was arrested on the basis of his DNA test after a two-week-long probe, was presented on Wednesday before the ATC.

The police had cordoned off the van in which the accused was brought to the court. More than 50 police officials were deputed on the security of the accused, who was wearing a grey-shirt and trouser with his face covered by a black cloth. No one was allowed to go near the suspect and the police officials led him by holding his neck, arms and back.

The accused was made to bow before District and Sessions Judge Sajjad Ahmed, who asked whether there was only one accused in the case or more than one. The investigation officer (IO) informed the court that only one person, Imran Ali, was the accused.

The judge ordered the cloth removed from the face of the accused. After seeing his face, the judge asked if he was the same person seen in the CCTV footages. The IO replied in affirmative.

The judge, however, noted that the man seen in the CCTV footages had a beard but the man presented before him was clean shaved. The IO said the accused had admitted that he had shaved his beard after murdering Zainab.

Zainab’s ‘murderer’ remanded in police custody for 14 days

The judge asked if the police had any evidence of his involvement in the case. The IO contended that his DNA test report, attached with the documents, had matched with that of the sample collected from Zainab’s body.

Eight year-old Zainab went missing on January 6 and was found dead four days later

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    The bench also summoned the record of all cases related to the rape and sexually-abused children

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    Original news : https://tribune.com.pk/story/1617862/1-chief-justice-lhc-wants-verdict-in-zainabs-case-within-seven-days-of-challan/