KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday directed the jail authorities to produce the alleged drug baroness Anmol Pinky in court whenever her personal appearance is required in narcotics and possession of an illegal weapon cases.
The direction was issued against anapplication filed by a senior jail official seekingthe appearance ofthe suspected cocaine dealerbefore the courtviavideo link due to security concerns.
The application was filed by the senior superintendent of the Central Prison for Women on Monday, when Pinky was scheduled to appear in person before the court in two cases, including those related to the possession of drugs and an illegal weapon.
However, after reviewing the application, Judicial Magistrate (South) Sitara Kainat directed authorities to produce the suspect in court when required, adding that she did not need to appear in person at the current stage of the proceedings.
‘Since there is no need [for the] physi-cal appearance of the accused at the challan stage due to security risk[s], [...] thejailsuperintendent shallbe directed to produce custody whenever the court requires,’ the order reads.
In the application filed on June 1, the jail superintendent had informed the court that the suspect, who is an undertrial prisoner at the women’s prison, was required to be produced before the concerned court in the two cases on the same date.
The application also stated that, owing to the suspect’s high-profile status, her physical movement from the prison to the City Courts premises posed a ‘significant security risk’ to the general public, law enforcement personnel and the suspect herself.Therefore, the superintendent submitted that the suspect could not be physically produced before the court and requested the court to conduct the next hearingvia videolink.
The official also informed the court that the necessary video-link arrangements were available and would be ensured by the prison administration upon the court’s direction.
‘Transactions worth millions of rupees’ In addition,in the narcotics case, the police also implicated Pinky’s two accomplices, Zeeshan-ur-Rehman and Sohail-ur-Rehman, claiming that they operated a mobile top-up shop named Fayyaz Communication.
After being sent to prison on judicial remand, the two suspects moved post-arrest bail applications before the District and Sessions Judge (South), who fixed June s for announcing the order.
Dawn spoke to state prosecutor Muhammad Arif Sitai, who said that a report containing bankstatements had been submitted before the district and sessions judge (South) during the bail proceedings filed by the two accomplices of the prime suspect.
He added that a mobile phone recovered from Pinky was sent to the FIA for forensic analysis, which allegedly revealed WhatsApp chats between the prime suspect and her two accomplices linked with monetary transactions.
The prosecutor further claimed that the alleged drug dealer used to transfer drug money into bank accounts operated by the two accomplices.
He stated that Zeeshan had officially declared a monthly income of Rs50,000.
However, transactions worth millions of rupees were found in his accounts that did not correspond with his declared income level.