Sarah murder case: Islamabad court extends remand of suspect Shahnawaz for 4 days

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Thursday extended the physical remand of Shahnawaz Amir — the main suspect in the Sarah Inam murder case — for another four days.

Shahnawaz was arrested last week for allegedly killing his Canadian national wife. The incident took place at a farmhouse located in Shahzad Town where the suspect lived along with his mother, Sameena Shah.

During today’s hearing, Shahnawaz was presented in the court of Civil Judge Muhammad Amir Aziz upon the expiry of his remand. No counsel representing the defendant or the victim’s family appeared before the court.

As the hearing commenced, the prosecutor requested the judge to extend Shahnawaz’s remand for another five days.

“We have to hold further inquiry into the money that the suspect had been receiving [from the deceased],” the officer told the court.

The judge also asked about the number of days the suspect had been in police custody. “He has been in custody for five days now,” the officer responded.

The court subsequently extended Shahnawaz’s remand by another four days.

Meanwhile, the counsel of senior journalist and former politician Ayaz Amir — the suspect’s father — urged the court to issue directions to the police to return his client’s mobile phone.

However, the prosecutor said the mobile phone had been sent for a forensic analysis, adding: “Ayaz had told investigators that his phone had a picture related to the incident.”

Ayaz’s counsel, however, contended that the phone had nothing to do with the investigation.

After hearing arguments, the judge rejected Ayaz’s plea. “The phone should be returned once the investigation is completed,” the judge remarked.

It is pertinent to mention here that the court had on Tuesday discharged the senior journalist from the charge of abetment in the case.

However, the court had advised the police that he may be arrested again if any evidence was found against him, after taking permission from the court.

The case

Police have become a complainant in the case, with the FIR registered on the complaint of Shahzad Town Station House Officer Nawazish Ali Khan.

The complaint stated that on September 23, Sameena called police and informed them that Shahnawaz had murdered his wife “with a dumbbell”.

“My son is present in the house and has hidden the body,” the FIR quoted Sameena as saying, adding that the police subsequently raided the house.

“He had locked himself up in his room. When they broke inside, there were blood stains on Shahnawaz’s hands and clothes,” the police said in the complaint.

“He then confessed that he had repeatedly hit his wife with a dumbbell during an argument and then hid her body in the washroom’s bathtub.”

According to the FIR, Shahnawaz also said he had “hidden” the murder weapon under his bed.

Upon examining the dumbbell, the police found blood and hair on it. “We have sent it for forensics,” the FIR added.

The complaint further stated that the victim’s body had been sent to the Polyclinic Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Sarah’s father has demanded that Shahnawaz be “sentenced to death” within two to three hearings.