A local court in Karachi on Thursday denied bail to two suspects involved in a high-profile assault case in the city’s Defence area, sending them to judicial custody.
The case pertains to the physical assault of a young man following a traffic altercation in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi, that went viral on social media last month.
The suspects, identified as Salman Farooqi, reportedly a senior executive at a local company, and his associate Owais Hashmi, were presented before the Judicial Magistrate South.
The court, after preliminary hearing, ordered both suspects to be sent to jail on judicial remand and directed the investigation officer to submit a progress report in the next hearing.
During the proceedings, the victim, Sudheer, appeared in court and identified one of the accused.
He told the judge he was unaware of the court summons and had appeared on his lawyer’s advice.
Main accused arrested in Defense Karachi assault case
When asked whether he faced any threats or pressure, Sudheer stated he did not wish to pursue the case further and had forgiven the accused.
“I leave the decision to the court; I have no objection,” he said.
However, the state prosecutor, Irfana Qadri, opposed the bail request, arguing that the FIR included serious charges such as issuing threats and publicly humiliating a woman, which are non-bailable offences under the law.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court rejected the bail applications of both accused.
Farooqi’s co-accused, Owais Hashmi, was arrested earlier this week, making it a significant development in the case that drew widespread attention after a disturbing video of the incident circulated on social media.
The video showed Farooqi assaulting a motorcyclist, identified as Sudheer after a minor collision in DHA.
Despite repeated pleas for forgiveness from the victim’s sisters, who were present at the scene, Farooqi continued the assault.
The incident sparked outrage, with calls for accountability and justice for the victim.
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