KARACHI, Jan 7: Three suspects were on Monday remanded in police custody for 10 days by an anti-terrorism court in the Shahzeb murder case.

The court also issued non-bailable arrest warrants against prime suspect Shahrukh Jatoi and his father Sikandar Ali Jatoi.

The three suspects — Nawab Siraj Ali Talpur, 22, his brother Nawab Sajjad Ali Talpur, 21, and their house servant Ghulam Murtaza Lashari, 23 — were brought to the anti-terrorism courts complex amid strict security arrangements on Monday afternoon.

Their faces were muffled.

Sub-Inspector Waseem Ahmed of the Boat Basin police station submitted a report in court under Section 167 (procedure when investigation cannot be completed in 24 hours) of the criminal procedure code, stating that the case was registered at the Darakhshan police station but the investigation was transferred to the Boat Basin police.

It said that after recording the statements of the complainant, his relatives and eyewitnesses, Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modestly) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 were incorporated in the FIR.

The report said that the suspects were arrested in Dadu on Jan 5 and a case was also registered under Section 216 (harboring offender who has escaped from custody whose apprehension has been ordered) of the PPC at the Section-A police station, Dadu, against Aftab Jatoi and Azam Bughio for illegally providing shelter to the arrested suspects.

It said that the prime suspect, Shahrukh Jatoi, and his father Sikandar Ali Jatoi were absconders in the case.

Siraj, Shahrukh, Sajjad and other unnamed suspects were nominated in the FIR and during the course of investigation Ghulam Murtaza was also enlisted with the suspects while Sikandar Jatoi was booked under Section 109 (abetment) of the PPC, it added.

It further stated that since the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the Shahzeb murder case, the investigation officer, Inspector Mohammad Mobin, was in Islamabad in connection with the hearing of the suo motu notice.

The police sought 14-day remand of the detained suspects for interrogation, arresting the absconders on leads to be provided by them, to conduct an identification parade of the suspects, move the court of a magistrate to record the statements of prosecution witnesses under Section 164 of the CrPC, recover the crime weapon and to complete other legal formalities.

Judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon of the ATC-III remanded the suspects in police custody till Jan 16.

The court observed that the suspects did not make any complaint about maltreatment at the hands of police.

The court also directed the IO to complete the investigation and submit a charge-sheet within the stipulated period, it added.

No lawyer appeared in court on behalf of any of the suspects.

The police also filed an application in court requesting to issue non-bailable warrants for the absconding suspects, who were said to have gone underground in the country as well as abroad.

While issuing non-bailable warrants, the court ruled that the police were authorised to arrest the absconding suspects in the subject crime from their places of hiding. It also directed the police to produce the absconders in court as soon as possible and in case warrants were not served, it may be returned to the court along with a detailed report.

According to the FIR/prosecution, Shahzeb Khan had an altercation with the suspects since they tried to tease his sister and later the issue was settled by some elders, but Siraj, Shahrukh, Sajjad and their unnamed accomplices/servants killed the victim on the night of Dec 24 in Defence Phase V.

A case (FIR 591/12) was registered the following day on a complaint of the deceased’s father Aurangzeb, a deputy superintendent of police, under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 109 (abetment) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Darakhshan police station.