The plaintiffs tell the court that they have no objection to the suspects’ acquittal or release.
A file photo of the deceased mother, Sadia, with her 10-month-old daughter Rida Fatima. PHOTO: EXPRESS
A magistrate court has granted bail to five suspects in a case relating to the death of a mother and her baby daughter after they lost their lives by falling into an open drain hole near Bhati Gate in Lahore, in response to the complainant’s version that no further legal proceedings were sought against them.
The incident took place last month near Data Darbar, where Sadia, 24, and her 10-month-old daughter Rida fell into an uncovered sewer pipe. 1122 rescue teams recovered Sadia’s body almost six hours after the incident, while the infant’s body was recovered around 16 hours later following an extensive search operation.
Sadia’s husband had accused the police of subjecting him to physical torture after taking him and his cousins into custody for questioning.
During today’s hearing, Magistrate Shafqat Abbas presided over the proceedings after the police produced the suspects before the court upon the expiration of their remand. The suspects included project manager Asghar Sandhu, CEO of the subcontracting company Salman Yasin, site manager Hunzala, Ahmed Nawaz and Daniyal.
Learn more: The court grants four days of pre-trial detention to eight suspects
The deceased’s father, Sajid Hussain, and her husband, Murtaza, also appeared before the court.
They told the court that they did not wish to take further legal action against the suspects and had no objection to their acquittal or release.
In light of the complainant’s statement, the magistrate approved the suspects’ bail applications after their arrest and ordered them to furnish sureties of Rs 50,000 each.
It is worth mentioning that in the previous hearing, the defense lawyer had told the court that the business owner voluntarily went to the police and presented a check of Rs10 million for the aggrieved family.
Following the incident, Bhati Gate police registered a case under Section 322 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code on Hussain’s complaint. The complainant had accused the officials of leaving the manhole uncovered, which he claimed directly led to the deaths.
Read also: CM Maryam orders arrests in death of mother, baby girl
The case initially sparked controversy after conflicting statements emerged, with some officials questioning whether the bodies could be flowing down the drain. Confusion increased when a Punjab government spokesperson prematurely described the incident as “fake”, a statement later contradicted by emergency findings.
Skepticism grew further when family members accused Sadia’s husband of a crime, citing strained marital relations. Police detained the husband and others for questioning, but investigators later said forensic evidence, CCTV footage and results of rescue operations supported the conclusion that the deaths were accidental.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had ordered the dismissal and arrest of the suspects.
Learn more: Woman and child die after falling into manhole in Lahore
She expressed a complete lack of confidence in the performance of all responsible departments and called for immediate accountability, holding the administration, the Lahore Development Authority, the Water and Sanitation Agency and other relevant officials responsible for gross negligence.
