Five suspects granted bail after lion's stroll down Karachi's Sharea Faisal
August 30, 2023
KARACHI: A day after a lion's leisurely stroll down Sharea Faisal after its escape from its owner's clutches made headlines, a sessions court in Karachi on Wednesday granted bail to five suspects arrested for allegedly illegally keeping the big cat in their custody.
On Tuesday, the lion had broken free from its owner's custody on Sharea Faisal near Aisha Bawany College, spreading panic among commuters on the bustling thoroughfare. The animal was being illegally transported in a vehicle when it managed its escape, according to wildlife department officials.
The wild animal, said to be a pet, was later caught by a team of the wildlife department that then shifted it away from the site. Following the incident, Shamsul Haq, the owner of the lion, along with four others — Yafeh , Ubaid, Ghulam Murtaza and Muhammad Naseer — were taken into custody and an FIR was lodged against them.
On Wednesday, the investigating officer, Ashfaq Memon, produced the detained suspects before Additional Sessions Judge (South) Shahid Ali Memon and five-day physical remand for interrogation. In the meantime, the suspects through their lawyer moved an application before the court seeking post-arrest bail in the case.
The judge, however, granted post-arrest bail to the suspects against a surety of Rs200,000 each and directed the IO to release them forthwith if they were not required in any other case.
The IO was told to file a charge-sheet against them within 14 days.
The FIR has been lodged under sections 21 (no person shall hunt, kill, trap and capture, or smuggle, possess and trade in wildlife such as mammals, birds, reptiles or parts thereof unless permitted), 32-a/b (any officer not below the rank of Wildlife Inspector shall seize any wildlife that has been hunted or captured), 49 (certificate of law possession), and 50 (lawful possession) of the Sindh Wildlife Act 2020.
Meanwhile, the investigating officer has confirmed that the lion has been handed over to Karachi Zoo officials.
