|
LAHORE: While the Model Town
Judicial Magistrate, Muhammad Aneeq Anwar, on Friday
sent double murder accused Raymond Davis to jail on
a 14-day judicial remand, Capital City Police
Officer (CCPO) Aslam Tarin rejected the self-defence
claim made by Raymond Davis, saying that it was a
clear case of murder.
On Friday, DSP Old
Anarkali Safdar Raza Kazmi produced the handcuffed
accused in an armoured vehicle in the magisterial
court amid tight security. The courtroom was covered
with tents. Only the magistrate was allowed to enter
the courtroom, while other judicial officers,
litigants and court staff were restrained from
entering the premises. They were allowed to go to
their respective courtrooms after proceedings of the
Davis case ended.
To avoid a large
number of media persons waiting for Raymond on court
premises, the police sent an empty armoured vehicle
to the Cantt courts. On the previous two dates, the
police had produced Davis in the Cantt courts to
obtain his physical remand.
Investigation Officer
Inspector Munir Ahmed informed the court the accused
had confessed to his crime during the interrogation
and evidence in this regard had been made part of
the case record. The IO also submitted an incomplete
challan of the accused and requested the court to
send Davis on judicial remand as his 14-day physical
remand had ended under the law.
Advocate Hassam Qadir
appeared on behalf of Davis and submitted an
application, contending that his client enjoyed
diplomatic immunity. He requested the court to hold
in-camera proceedings of the case.
However, the court
sent Davis to jail for 14 days. The court also
sought comments from the Prosecution department by
Feb 25 on the plea of Raymond’s counsel. On the
issue of immunity, the court observed that the
matter was pending with the Lahore High Court. The
judge directed the police to produce Raymond on Feb
25 again, along with a copy of the complete challan.
Raymond was shifted to the Kot Lakhpat Jail.
As per sources,
during the course of proceedings, Raymond Davis once
again claimed that he enjoyed diplomatic immunity
and had killed the riders in self-defence with his
pistol, “Glock” 9mm.
Meanwhile, addressing
a press conference at his office on Friday, CCPO
Aslam Tarin said Raymond Davis had committed
intentional and cold-blooded murders. The
investigation was conducted on merit, which led the
police to the conclusion that Davis was guilty of
murder, he added.
The CCPO said the
police had submitted a provisional challan,
requesting the court to take action against the man
under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Tarin told the media
Davis shot at the fleeing boy and the motorcyclists
did not point guns at him, adding that the gun
recovered from the deceased was not loaded. He
refused to comment on the diplomatic status of
Raymond, saying his job was only to investigate the
killing incident.
Tarin said eyewitness
accounts and forensic reports showed that Davis did
not shoot the men in self-defence. “His plea has
been rejected by the police investigators,” he said,
adding that Raymond gave no chance to them (deceased
persons) to survive which implied that it was not in
self-defence. The CCPO also quoted eyewitnesses as
saying that Raymond had directly shot at the two
boys and kept shooting even when one of them was
running away.
To a question, the
CCPO said no fingerprints had been found on triggers
of the pistols found on the bodies of the two men
and that tests showed the bullets remained in the
magazine of their gun, and not the chamber.
The CCPO said the
investigation team had recovered a GPS tracker,
mobile phones, wireless sets, a survival kit and
photographs from Davis’ car. He said Davis had kept
quiet throughout the investigation.
About the suspects
whose car had struck Ebadur Rehman, Tarin said
details were missing and the suspects had still not
been handed over to the police. He said the Punjab
government had written to the federal government
regarding the case and had also sent a fifth
reminder. “The complete challan would be submitted
to the court after the recovery of the other vehicle
and custody of the other accused,” Tarin said.
Raymond Davis was arrested on January
27 after he shot dead two people at the Qurtaba
Chowk, Lahore. A third youth was run over and killed
when American personnel in a consulate back-up
vehicle apparently tried to rescue Davis,
police said.
|
