First cop to collect evidence appears in court
KARACHI: The policeman, who was the first one to collect evidence from the murder site of Geo TV reporter Wali Babar, has been included in the high-profile trial.
The court hearing the murder case accepted the police’s plea to include a key witness – an investigating officer who initially handled the case – in the investigation. The trial continued on Wednesday amid unsatisfactory security arrangements. The Anti-Terrorism Court-III has been hearing the case inside Central Jail, Karachi.
After the application was submitted, the officer recounted his role in the investigation to the court. He had reached the crime scene after receiving information and collected Babar’s fingerprints, blood samples and 9mm bullet shells from the journalist’s car. The evidence was submitted for chemical and forensic examination the next day. The officer also prepared the police statement on the crime scene examination and also received a copy of the First Information Report and initial statements of the witnesses. He deposed, however, that he was transferred to the Special Investigation Unit and the case was handed over to another officer. The next hearing is scheduled for December 4.
Poor security
Security arrangements for the judicial staff and witnesses’ e are still unsatisfactory despite court orders. Two lawyers of the complainant, Wali Babar’s brother, were absent from the court again on Wednesday. One of them told The Express Tribune that he is no longer involved with the case. The last eyewitness to the journalist’s murder was shot dead on November 11 – just two days before he was to appear in court.
According to the interrogation report of a recently arrested Lashkar-e-Jhangvi member, one of his planned 17 targets included the prosecutor.
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