Justice Rustam Ali Malik of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday asked a petitioner to file a fresh application if he wanted a murder case registered against the parents of his wife after they told the court that their daughter, who had married without their consent, was electrocuted.
| "It was just a freak accident, y'r honor! Y'see, she was bathing the toaster, and..." |
On the last hearing, the court had ordered the station house officer of Bhana Police Station in Jhang district’s Chiniot tehsil to find the girl, Nazia Shaheen, and produce her in the court for her statement. However, Ms Shaheen’s parents informed the court that their daughter had died the previous day from electrocution. In his habeas corpus petition, petitioner Naveed Ahmed had expressed the fear that his wife’ parents might kill her if she was not removed from their custody.
| Well, boy howdy! Ain't that a coincidence? |
When informed about his wife’s death, the petitioner started shouting and accused Ms Shaheen’s parents of bumping her off killing her. He asked the court to order a criminal case against his wife’s parents. However, the judge said that such orders could not be made in a habeas corpus petition and advised him to file a fresh writ petition to seek the registration of a murder case. The petitioner informed the court that he married Ms Shaheen on January 19, 2004 without her parents’ consent. He said his spouse later fell ill and was admitted to Ittefaq Hospital from where her parents took her away and refused to send her with him. He said his wife unsuccessfully tried to escape from her parents’ custody and he had to file a writ petition to seek her recovery. |