Court Rejects Bail of Graveyard Officials in Sidra Case

APP

Rawalpindi:  An Additional District and Sessions Court in Rawalpindi on Friday rejected the post-arrest bail pleas of two accused — the graveyard secretary, Saif-ur-Rehman Khan, and the gravedigger, Rashid — in the high-profile Sidra murder case, registered at Pirwadhai Police Station.

Presiding Judge Farhat Jabeen Rana dismissed the bail applications after reviewing the police investigation, which found that both accused were allegedly aware of the secret burial of the young woman, Sidra, who was reportedly killed on the orders of a jirga for marrying against her family’s wishes.

According to the court’s ruling, instead of alerting authorities, the two officials tampered with graveyard records, particularly receipt number 78 of the Pirwadhai graveyard.

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The court also noted that CCTV footage and other evidence substantiated their role in concealing the crime, concluding that the accused were not entitled to bail at this stage.

The case, lodged on July 21, states that Sidra was murdered in the name of “honour” following a jirga decision allegedly presided over by a local leader and businessman, Ismat Ullah Khan. After the killing, Sidra was buried secretly, and her grave’s markings were later destroyed to erase evidence.

Police have so far nominated nine suspects in the case, including the jirga head, the victim’s father, brother, the graveyard secretary, and the gravedigger. All accused are currently on judicial remand at Adyala Jail as investigations continue.