ISLAMABAD: A local court on Monday sent Zahir Zakir Jaffer to Adiala Jail on 14 days judicial remand as the police concluded the investigation in Noor Mukadam murder case.

The police produced Jaffer before duty judge Shaista Kundi under tight security.

The investigating officer filed an application before the judge stating that since the investigation to the extent of Jaffer has been completed, and the police did not require his further custody, therefore, he may be sent to jail on judicial remand.

Subsequently, the court sent him on judicial remand till Aug 16.

When Judge Kundi asked the accused if he wants to say something, he refused to address the judge and asked her to talk to his lawyer instead.

Shaukat Mukadam, father of the deceased was also present before the court.

During the investigation, police recovered murder weapons, knuckleduster, knife set and other evidence from the accused. The accused also underwent a couple of tests, including polygraph (lie detector), at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), Lahore, to verify his statements and evidence collected in connection with the murder.

Besides, samples taken from the victim’s body during the autopsy were also submitted to the agency for tests.

As many as 25 tests were conducted at the PFSA. Besides, samples of the victim were also submitted there.

Jaffer was in custody since July 20.

The investigators obtained the CCTV footage of a camera installed at the neighbourhood of the accused house, reportedly the footage revealed that the victim jumped from the first floor of the house and ran towards the main gate, but it was locked.

Shortly afterwards, she took shelter in a guard’s room, but the accused broke the door and dragged her inside the house.

The police also recovered mobile phones of the victim and the accused and sent them to the Federal Investigation Agency to unlock them for forensic tests and retrieval of deleted data.

The mobile phones will help provide the timeline of calls available in the call log, the deleted data from apps and phones’ galleries were also being recovered.

Some stuff, found in the mobile phones, is considered evidence and will be used against the accused during the trial.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2021