KARACHI: Alleged drug queenpin Anmol alias Pinky on Monday alleged she was facing pressure “to take names” as she was remanded into police custody for another four days in connection with a murder case.
Anmol was arrested last week from her apartment in Karachi in connection with two cases pertaining to the possession of narcotics and an unlicenced weapon. She was already booked in multiple criminal cases prior to her arrest, taking the number of cases active against her to at least 15.
On Monday, on the completion of her two-day physical remand in the murder case, Anmol was presented before South Judicial Magistrate Kalsoom Mustafa at the Judicial Complex inside Central Prison Karachi.
It may be mentioned that the alleged drug peddler was already on physical remand in a separate narcotics case till May 22, while her judicial remand in 13 other cases extends till May 30.
The magistrate directed the investigation officer (IO) to ensure that Anmol was interrogated in the presence of female police personnel and sought a report on her medical examination by a medicolegal officer.
“Learned counsel also submitted that the complainant is not a blood relative of the deceased and alleged that pressure is being exerted upon the accused to falsely implicate politicians, actresses and other influential persons in the matter,” the order read.
Earlier in the day, a district judge had accepted IO Rashid Nazeer’s request to conduct the hearing at the Judicial Complex.
Subsequently, she was presented before the magistrate, where Anmol reiterated her claims of being subjected to torture and maltreatment while in police custody.
As the situation got chaotic in the jam-packed courtroom during the hearing and the suspect also attempted to speak to mediapersons, reporters and others were told to leave the courtroom. The counsels later briefed the media on the developments.
Public prosecutor Shakeel Abbasi argued on behalf of the state, while Advocate Liaquat Gabol appeared as Anmol’s counsel in the case.
The judge asked why Anmol’s medical examination had not been carried out, as ordered on Saturday.
Upon hearing Anmol’s torture allegations, the judge asked her lawyer if he had filed an application for his client’s medical examination.
“Not one but many investigation officers tortured me,” Anmol alleged.
On the IO mentioning that authorities had her voice recordings showing her involvement in drug-related activities, Anmol claimed they were AI-generated.
Anmol, who was presented amid tight security, alleged she was being coerced to “take names”. Speaking to her lawyer, she said the IO told her not to “mention the videos”, adding that she was willing to be remanded for even 100 days.
The IO then restricted Anmol from speaking, reminding her that she was in police custody.
The public prosecutor informed the magistrate that the drugs allegedly recovered from Anmol had yet to be sent for forensics, and she needed to be investigated further regarding her “network”.
Gabol claimed his client was forced to record statements under duress. He reiterated this when speaking to the media later, saying Anmol was being urged to “take names of politicians and others”.
The police sought a nine-day extension in Anmol’s physical remand, while the defence counsel opposed the request. Announcing the verdict, the magistrate granted police Anmol’s custody till May 22.
The court also accepted the police’s request to record the complainant’s statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), fixing May 21 as the date for recording it.
CTD springs into action
Separately, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) also sprang into action, beginning preparations for Anmol’s arrest.
It filed an application before an additional district and sessions judge, seeking a copy of the police record in the narcotics case against Anmol.
The application noted that Anmol’s arrest was required in a CTD case, in which her brother had been acquitted but she was on the run.
In another related development, a sessions judge (South) at the City Courts rejected the Darakhshan police’s review plea against Anmol’s judicial remand in five cases.
The judge, noting that the suspect was already on physical remand, directed the police to approach the judicial magistrate concerned if Anmol needed to be investigated further.
