MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has suspended Special Judge Haveli district, Raja Imtiaz Ahmed, for issuing an acquittal order in a case despite the Supreme Court rejecting the accused’s bail application.
The full bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan, and comprising Justice Khawaja Muhammad Naseem and Justice Raza Ali Khan, announced the verdict today.
The court ordered the Chief Justice of the High Court to immediately suspend Ahmed, who was serving as a Member Inspection Team High Court (District Judge), and submit a suspension order to the Supreme Court by today.
Directing the probe into the matter, the Supreme Court ordered that a High Court judge would lead the inquiry, and the report is to be submitted to the SC within a month.
The Special Judge, Narcotics Control Court Haveli, was found to have acquitted an accused person, Raja Dilawar Khan, arrested from Haveli, in a narcotics case despite the Supreme Court upholding the lower courts’ decision to reject his bail application on January 19, 2023.
The Supreme Court had directed the trial court to complete proceedings against Dilawar Khan within six months and submit a report, but the trial judge granted the acquittal application under Section 265-K, CrPC, on February 16, 2023, and the accused subsequently went abroad.
The Supreme Court found Ahmed’s actions to be a blatant violation of its decision and undermining the apex court’s dignity.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court has also issued a contempt of court notice to Special Judge Imtiaz, asking him to explain why he made false statements and violated the court’s orders.
The acquittal order issued by Ahmed is currently pending appeal in the High Court.
The Registrar High Court has been ordered to submit a detailed report on all drug-related cases decided by Narcotics Control Court Judge Ahmed during his posting in Muzaffarabad, Palandri, and Haveli.
