Noor Makadam case: Court rejects suspect’s parents bail application

On Aug 5, 2021 Last updated Oct 4, 2021

ISLAMABAD: An additional district and sessions judge on Thursday dismissed a bail application of Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, parents of Zahir Jafeer being held by police on charges of murdering and beheading Noor Mokadam.

The judge did not accept the argument that the parents were implicated as a malicious afterthought. They were implicated after their role became apparent after further investigation.

“There is sufficient incriminating evidence available on the record to connect the present accused with the commission of the alleged offences, while no proof as to any previous grudge or enmity on the part of the complainant or police has brought on record. Moreever, the offence, levelled upon the petitioners/accused, which includes abbetment of offence commited by principal accused, are quite serious in nature and falls within the prohibitory clause of Section 494 CrP.C wherein the relief of bai is to be extended only in exceptional circumstances,” the court said in its order.

The judge did not accept the argument that the parents were implicated as a malicious afterthought. They were implicated after their role became apparent after further investigation. pic.twitter.com/4QY50BkYQx

— Justice for Noor (@justicefornoor) August 5, 2021

The court also said that parents of the accused were not only involved in willful concealment of facts but also attempted to cause disappearance of evidence.

Noor Mukadam, daughter of Pakistan’s former ambassador to South Korea, was found beheaded in Islamabad on Tuesday (20).

Zahir Jaffer, a dual citizen of Pakistan and the US, who is accused of torturing and killing Mukadam, has been arrested following a complaint from the victim’s father.

The lack of an effective state prosecution department has, historically, led to complainants relying solely on private lawyers, even where the state is a party. But the proactive role played by the prosecution department in these proceedings is very promising for future cases.

— Justice for Noor (@justicefornoor) August 5, 2021

Zahir’s father Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee along with their household staff were arrested for “hiding evidence and being complicit in the crime”, an Islamabad police spokesman said in a statement on Saturday (24).