Court denies bail to suspects in Sidra case | The Express Tribune
Key Takeaways
- The court rejected the bail pleas of two cemetery employees involved in concealing the 'honour killing' of Sidra Bibi.
- All 18 accused in the Sidra Bibi murder case have been summoned for indictment proceedings scheduled for October 7.
- Three fugitives involved in the case surrendered to the court and were granted interim bail.
- The victim, Sidra Bibi, was murdered by family members after contracting a second marriage against their wishes.
- The judge found the cemetery secretary and gravedigger complicit for tampering with records and hiding the body's burial.
The case concerning the brutal 'honour killing' of 17-year-old Sidra Bibi, who was strangled by family members after marrying by choice on July 21, 2025, moved forward in Rawalpindi. Judge Farhat Jabeen Rana rejected the bail applications of two cemetery employees, Saifur Rehman and Rashid Mahmood, finding them directly linked to the crime for tampering with burial records and concealing evidence. The court concluded they were not entitled to bail due to their active role in the cover-up. In contrast, three accused who had been absconding surrendered to the court and were granted interim bail, with orders not to be arrested until the next hearing. The judge has formally summoned all 18 accused, including ten currently imprisoned, to appear on October 7 for the framing of charges, signaling the start of the formal trial. Sidra's family members, including her father, mother, and former husband, are alleged to be involved in the murder, though several female relatives remain at large.
