LAHORE: A sessions court in Lahore has declined to hear the interim bail plea of Ahmed Tanveer, the main accused in the alleged rape case involving Diana, an Azerbaijani woman, ARY News reported.
Additional Sessions Judge Riffaqat Ali Gondal recused himself from hearing Tanveer’s interim bail application, stating that a reference had already been sent to the Lahore High Court regarding the matter.
The accused’s counsel, Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, appeared before the court, but the hearing could not proceed.
Later, the lawyer filed an application seeking exemption from Tanveer’s personal appearance, stating that the accused could not appear in court after the expiry of his interim bail. The counsel requested the court to grant the exemption.
Earlier, a court had extended Tanveer’s interim bail for another 10 days despite his failure to join the investigation, according to police.
Police said Tanveer obtained protective bail from the Peshawar High Court on October 9, under which police were barred from arresting him. He subsequently secured interim bail from a sessions court in Lahore on October 15.
The court directed him to join the investigation between October 15 and October 23. However, sources said he did not join the investigation during that period.
Police told the court they had submitted evidence in support of their request for his arrest, including requests for the recovery of a mobile phone and a weapon. They also sought cancellation of his