Brother shoots sister dead for free will marriage

HYDERABAD: One Javed Iqbal, a lawyer by profession, shot dead his sister 20-year Rahila, who had married to a man on her free will, in the courtroom of Sindh High Court, Circuit Bench, Hyderabad on Wednesday.

The police deployed at court arrested the killer brother and his accomplice identified as Sodagar on the spot.

It is said that deceased Rahila d/o Muhammad Iqbal, resident of Halani town of Tehsil Mahrabpur, district Naushehro Feroze, had married to one Zulfiqar Sahto of same area on June 30 last. Accused Javed Iqbal, who was opposed to their marriage, had registered a case of abduction of his sister against Zulfiqar Sahto at Halani police station after which the couple escaped from there and filed petition in SHC Hyderabad Circuit Bench through advocate Ghulam Mustafa Memon praying for protection as they feared threat to their life.

On Wednesday, the couple and the police officials of Halani appeared in the court where during the tea break, accused Javed Iqbal, wearing the black coat of lawyers, came in the courtroom and opened fires from a pistol on his sister who received bullet injuries. The police guards rushed to the courtroom and apprehended the killer and his accomplice Sodagar and handed them over to Cantonment police. The injured Rahila was rushed to civil hospital where she succumbed to injuries.

The court proceedings were adjourned for a day due to incident while high police officials rushed to the court to take stock of the situation.