Rich Pakistani lady escapes punishment in road rage case after she is forgiven by victims’ family
Karachi, Sep 7: Relatives of a father-daughter duo have forgiven a female from a wealthy, influential Pakistani business family here who ran down a luxurious SUV over them, her lawyer said on Friday.
The incident drew widespread condemnation as the two killed came from lower middle class. The rich lady also injured three other motorcyclists on the main Karsaz Road in the city as she lost control of her car.
The accident on August 19 garnered lot of attention on social media and became a raging debate on television channels as videos of Natasha Danish appearing disoriented and unrepentant over her actions went viral.
As Natasha Danish hit Imran Arif and his daughter Amna Arif from behind, their motorcycle went flying, according to videos of the incident shared on social media and by the police.
Imran used to sell papers to shops while his daughter was employed in a private firm.
After the hearing at a Sessions Court earlier on Friday, Barrister Uzair Ghouri, representing the bereaved families, told the media outside the court that they (the families) had forgiven the driver in the name of Allah.
The defence lawyer had claimed after the incident that the accused had mental health issues and was under treatment since 2005.
The victims’ family submitted an affidavit in the court forgiving the accused.
The agreement between the affected families and the accused were presented in the court of a judicial magistrate where the case was under trial, after which the accused was granted bail.
Soon after social media erupted with blames that the family accepted blood money.
“The bereaved families have forgiven the accused in the name of Allah and it is baseless rumours that they have taken blood money (Diyat in Islamic Shariah laws) to forgive her for the deaths,” he said.
In Pakistan, under Sharia laws, a victim’s family/heirs can forgive an accused even if he or she has caused deaths.
The law is called Qisas and Diyat law. Qisas, defined as “punishment by causing similar hurt at the same part of the body of the convict,” and diyat meaning, “compensation … payable to the heirs of the victims.” “The court has released Natasha on bail, she can go anywhere in the world,” said defence lawyer barrister Amir Mansoob.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
