KARACHI: Karachi’s local court on Tuesday sent a woman, who rammed his car into bikers and pedestrians killing two people on Karachi’s Karsaz Road, on a one-day physical remand.
The City Court special magistrate directed the authorities to bring the suspect to the court tomorrow (Wednesday) with a proper medical report. The investigation officer, Amir Altaf, had sought a seven-day remand of the suspect.
As per details available with Daily Ausaf/ABN News, Natasha, daughter of Chairman Rangoonwala Group of Companies and wife of Danish Iqbal, Chairman MetroPower Group, was arrested on Monday night under Sections 320, 337G, 279, and 427 of PPC spent the night in her home instead in the police custody.
Natasha Danish Iqbal was supposed to flee abroad on Tuesday morning when police stopped her and shifted her back to the police station in the Karsaz road accident case, sources told Daily Ausaf.
A case was lodged at the Bahadurabad Police Station against the female driver, identified in the first information report (FIR) as Natasha, for killing at least two people and wounding five others.
On Karachi’s Karsaz Road, the woman ran over five people with her Land Cruiser while driving under the influence of alcohol. Father and daughter died on the spot. She is the daughter of the chairman of Gul Ahmed Energy Group and Natasha is the wife of Danish Iqbal of Metro Energy… pic.twitter.com/UX0Y1x37EK
— بتول (@batool_9214) August 20, 2024
On Monday, at around 6:30 pm, a speeding Toyota Land Cruiser lost control and hit a motorcycle, other vehicles, and several pedestrians before plunging onto the service road, police said. As a result, two people died on the spot, while four persons were seriously injured and were taken to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention.
Following the incident, she was taken into custody by Police and Rangers and shifted to the police station. The intoxicated driver, who also received a head injury, was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for a medical check-up.
‘Accused is psychiatric patient’
During the court hearing, an investigation officer submitted a report about the suspect’s non-appearance before the court, saying that she was not in the condition to be allowed for an appearance before the court.
“Since the mental condition of the accused is critical, she could not, therefore, be brought to the court as per doctor’s instruction,” the investigation officer maintained.
The Suspect’s lawyer, Amir Mansoob appeared before the court and alleged that his client was a psychiatric patient and had been under treatment for her condition for five years. “Such patients are kept in an isolation ward and they do not remember anything. She took out the vehicle without [anyone’s] permission,” he said.
CCTV footage
On the other hand, CCTV footage available with ABN News showed that a speeding white SUV lost control and hit the father and the daughter commuting on a bike, killing them on the spot.
The woman suspect does not stop the vehicle after crashing into the motorcycle and runs away. Police have paced the investigation with the help of the surveillance camera footage.
کراچی، کارساز حادثے کی سی سی ٹی وی فوٹیج سامنے آگئے#abnnews pic.twitter.com/O9VumRUlV4
— ABN NEWS (@abnnewspk) August 20, 2024
The deceased, identified as 62-year-old Imran Arif and his 23-year-old daughter Amina, and the injured were brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medico-legal formalities and treatment.
Five others, including 55-year-old Abdul Salam, sustained injuries in the accident. Natasha also suffered a head injury during the incident, hospital officials said.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the woman driving the vehicle was intoxicated and tried to flee from the spot but was caught by the citizens and subsequently handed over to the police.
Police registered a case after an FIR was filed by Imtiaz Arif, brother of the deceased at the Bahadurabad police station. The charges of culpable homicide and negligence were incorporated in the FIR. Imtiaz said his brother and niece died due to the suspect’s “negligence, freewheeling and speeding”.
Bahadurabad police station SHO Muhammad Naeem confirmed that the accused driver, Natasha, is the wife of well-known businessman Danish Iqbal, against whom legal action is currently being taken. Moreover, the Police stated that the accused is reportedly in a state of mental distress.
