SHC approves Karsaz accident suspect's bail in drug case

Stressing the need for further inquiry, the Sindh High Court on Monday granted bail to the female driver arrested in Karsaz road accident in a drug case against surety bonds worth Rs1 million.

On August 19, a young woman and an elderly man were killed when the suspect’s luxury vehicle crashed into multiple vehicles near the Pakistan Maritime Museum in Karachi. Those killed in the accident were identified as daughter and father, 26-year-old Aamna Arif and 60-year-old Imran Arif.

According to law enforcement officials, the woman who caused the accident received an injury on her head and her CT scan was conducted at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

The suspect was granted bail in the murder case earlier this month after the victims’ family pardoned her.

However, another case was lodged against the suspect after Methamphetamine, aka crystal meth, was found in her blood and urine samples.

At the outset of today’s hearing, Farooq H Naek — the suspect’s counsel — apprised the court that his client had already secured a bail in one of the two cases lodged against her. He said that both the sides have reached a reconciliation.

At this, the public prosecutor argued that the suspect was driving under the influence of a drug when the accident occurred.

Naek was of the view that there is an ambiguity in her medical reports. He said that Methamphetamine (Ice) was detected in his client’s urine sample but the driver’s blood report was clear.

“My client has been undergoing treatment from a psychiatrist for years, it is also possible that some medicine has been given which is mentioned in the medical report,” he added.

In the detailed verdict, the SHC bench stated: “Even otherwise a glance at the chemical report reveals that the applicant’s blood sample found no narcotic, sedative, psychoactive toxic or any other foreign compound/element in the given sample. The urine sample given by the applicant found that Methamphetamine (Ice) i.e. narcotic was detected the sample, hence there appears to be contradiction between the two reports (blood and urine) which makes this a case of further inquiry.”

It further said that the suspect is a “lady and has three children all of whom are school going out of whom one is a young female and as such they need the support of their mother who has already been in jail for the last 6 weeks”.  

The accident

On August 19, the woman suspect was detained and booked under rash driving and manslaughter charges after a speeding luxury vehicle driven by her killed a man and his daughter and injured two others on Karsaz Road.

Later, a separate case was lodged against her under the Section 11 (drinking liable to tazir) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order (PEHO) 1979 after her medical report confirmed that she was under the influence of methamphetamine, also known as ice or crystal meth.

The deceased and injured were brought to the JPMC for medico-legal formalities and treatment, respectively.

The suspect was going through the service road near Karsaz when, according to her, the car got out of control and caused the accident.