F.P. Report
In an unusual development, Police in Haveli, Kahuta, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Wednesday arrested sessions judge Raja Imtiaz Ahmad for ordering the release of a narcotics dealer in violation of the state’s Supreme Court (SC) order.
A full bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan, sentenced Imtiaz to three days’ imprisonment.
A man, Raja Dilawar Khan, had been arrested for possessing a large quantity of heroin.
Earlier, a case had been registered against him under the Narcotics Act, 1997.
Firstly, a lower court rejected the bail petition filed by the suspect.
Later, the high court and the Supreme Court, on January 19, 2023, had cancelled the bail plea of Dilawar and ordered the district court to decide his case within six months.
The apex court had also said in its ruling that if any material surfaced on the basis of which the suspect could be granted bail, then he could approach the SC again.
But within one month of Imtiaz, who had then been posted as a special judge at an Anti-Narcotics Court, Haveli, ordered the release of the suspect on February 16, 2023.
Dilawar then fled abroad despite the fact that an appeal in his case was pending in a high court while the SC’s verdict was also there.
Imtiaz had been suspended a month ago on the apex court’s order.
Later, an inquiry had also been launched.
