Noting that cases against alleged drug queenpin Anmol alias Pinky are at an early stage of investigation and submission of a charge sheet, a judicial magistrate has directed jail authorities to produce her in court when required.
The order came on an application filed by the senior superintendent of the Central Prison for Women requesting the court to allow the suspect’s appearance in court via video link instead of in person due to security risks.
The judicial magistrate (South) said that since there was no need for physical appearance of the suspect at the “challan stage due to security risk”, the jail superintendent shall be directed to produce custody whenever the court requires.
On Monday, senior superintendent of the Central Prison for Women informed the magistrate about non-production of the suspect in court in two cases lodged at the Garden police station due to “risky movement and public security risks”.
In the application, the senior superintendent stated that the female under-trial priosoner (UTP) Anmol alias Pinky was required to be produced before the court on Monday in two cases lodged at the Garden police station.
“Due to High Profile accused her physical movement from this Prison to the Honourable Court premises poses a significant security risk to the General Public, Law Enforcement personnel and the accused herself,” the application added.
It said that Pinky could not be produced before the court due to this reason, requesting the magistrate to set next date of the hearing of the cases and allow the suspect’s presence via video link.
The senior superintendent said that necessary arrangements for video link were available at the prison and will be ensured on the courts’ directions. On May 23, the jail official had written similar letters to the relevant courts hearing cases against suspect Pinky.
Pinky, who was arrested last month, has been booked in around two dozen cases pertaining to possession of drugs, an unlicencensed weapon, and murder. The cases have been lodged at Darakshan, Garden, Boat Basin, Gizri, Baghdadi, Defence and SIU police stations.
Anmol alias Pinky was arrested during a joint operation conducted by the City police and a civil agency from an apartment in the Garden locality last month. Investigators allege she was running a sophisticated cocaine processing and delivery operation with links extending beyond Karachi to Lahore, Islamabad and other cities.
According to the police, Pinky not only supplied narcotics to affluent areas, including DHA and Clifton, but also prepared high-grade cocaine and managed deliveries through female riders and online platforms.
