SHC upholds death penalty in Afreen murder case
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court upheld on Tuesday a death sentence awarded by a sessions court to an accused in a case pertaining to the murder of TV producer Afreen Baig.
A sessions court had sentenced inJune 2009 to death Mohammad Bux, a driver of the deceased, after finding him guilty of killing Afreen Baig in October 2004 at her DHA residence. However, the court had exonerated her husband, Farooq Mengal, a co-accused, for want of evidence.
After scrutinising the evidenceand hearing arguments, a two-judge appellate bench of the SHC maintained the trial court verdict.
According to the prosecution, Afreen Baig, a TV artiste and producer, was killed in her DHA home allegedly by her driver Mohammad Bux and his wife Zahida. Her husband, Farooq Mengal, is alleged tohave masterminded the murder of the TV artiste as Mohammad Bux in his confessional statement before a magistrate had stated that he had killed the woman at the behest of Farooq Mengal, who was angry over suspected illicit relationship of Afreen with her former husband.Later, the police arrested the accused persons, but the accused woman was released on ball.
However, the court declared her as an absconder since she did not turn up after getting bail. A case (FIR163/05) was registered at the Clifton police station on a complaint of a brother of the victim.
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