Natasha Iqbal, accused in Karsaz road accident, discharged from hospital

KARACHI: In a recent development, Natasha Iqbal, the woman accused of killing a man and his daughter and injuring four other people in a Karsaz Road accident has been discharged by the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) considering her mental health is normal.

The hospital’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science issued a letter, declaring Natasha normal and discharged her stating that she is mentally stable and out of risk for any potential self-harm or suicide.

Initially, Natasha’s mental status was described as confused and irritated, the letter stated that she was not behaving normally. The doctors on duty examined her carefully after which they identified that she was not acting normally at the time of the incident, the letter issued by Dr. Chooni Lal, associate producer, in charge of the Department of Psychiatry in JPMC, wrote.

Considering her mental status, the significant impact of the incident, and her previous record of being mentally ill as per her family the accused was sent to the Department of Psychiatry on August 19, to avoid any causality or attempt of self-harm.

The doctor kept Natasha under strict observation and continuous mental examination on relevant psychological scales to monitor her well-being after which they declared that there was no attempt of self-harm or risk of suicide.

Following these observations, Natasha was permitted to be discharged from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science as there was no need for any immediate psychiatric involvement.

The City Court in Karachi on Wednesday sent Natasha Iqbal, wife of Metro Power Company Ltd CEO Danish Iqbal, to jail on judicial remand.

Earlier on August 20, during a court hearing, Natasha’s lawyer, Amir Mansoob, argued that she faces some mental disabilities and that she could not be presented before a judge because of her mental status.

Moreover, he stated, “My client is mentally ill, relies on medication for her condition, and left home without notifying anyone before driving the car”. The lawyer claimed that Natasha is been on medication for the past five years, though not a single document has been presented to the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science when demanded.

The police advised a 7-day remand of Natasha Iqbal but the court decided on just one day remand considering her condition at the moment.

The news of this incident has been in the limelight since it happened, people all around the nation are demanding strict punishment for Natasha.

However, according to the sources Natasha is being saved because of her prominent status in society, it is important to note here that Natasha Iqbal is the wife of Danish Iqbal a prominent businessman and CEO of the famous Pakistani brand Gul Ahmed, and a relative of Chairman Rangoonwala Group of Companies.

The road accident happened on Monday evening on Karachi’s Karsaz Road, when a speeding Toyota Land Cruiser lost control and hit a motorcycle before plunging onto the service road. As a result, two people died on the spot, while four persons sustained serious injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention.