Entertainment
Karachi man sentenced to 10 years for raping daughter
- Court finds prosecution proved rape charge beyond doubt.
- Victim’s testimony termed credible, natural and unbiased.
- Sentence includes fine, victim compensation under APA.
KARACHI: An additional district and sessions judge in Karachi sentenced a man to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment after convicting him of raping his 18-year-old daughter in the Korangi Industrial Area.
Additional District and Sessions Judge (East), Naseer Noor Khan, in a judgment dated December 22, dismissed the accused’s claim that the case was fabricated to usurp his property, stating such a motive was “unreasonable and unbelievable.”
“It cannot be accepted that a mother… would think to involve her real daughter for falsely implicating her husband just to usurp his property.” The defence witnesses — Irfan’s father and uncle — were found to be interested parties whose testimonies did not substantiate the property-grab claim.
The court found Muhammad Irfan guilty under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The conviction stems from the rape of his 18-year-old daughter in September 2023 at their home in Nasir Colony, Korangi.
In addition to the prison term, Irfan was fined Rs100,000. If unpaid, he will face an additional six months of simple imprisonment. The judge ordered that any fine paid be given to the victim as compensation under the Anti-Rape (Investigation & Trial) Act, 2021.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) and court records, the incident occurred around 3am in September 2023. The victim testified that after using a washroom on the ground floor, her father pulled her into a room, locked it, forcibly silenced her, and raped her. He subsequently threatened to kill her and divorce her mother if she disclosed the crime.
The victim initially confided in her aunt, who later informed the victim’s mother, Shahnaz Kanwal. The mother lodged the FIR at the Korangi Industrial Area police station on December 28, 2023.
In his detailed 13-page judgment, Judge Khan noted that the prosecution had proved its case “beyond the shadow of any reasonable doubt.” The court found the victim’s evidence to be “natural, independent, unbiased and straightforward.”
The judge cited Supreme Court rulings stating that in sexual offence cases, the victim’s sole testimony can be sufficient for conviction if it inspires confidence.
The victim’s statement was backed by her recorded statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before a judicial magistrate, the testimony of her mother, and medical evidence.
The judge further observed that failure on the part of investigators to collect vital evidence could not benefit the accused when the commission of the offence had been established through testimony and available material on record.
The judgment has been forwarded to the Sindh High Court for review, as mandated by the Anti-Rape Act. The accused has 30 days to file an appeal.
The accused was taken into custody following the announcement of the verdict, while the court directed that the sentence be carried out in accordance with the law.
Entertainment
2 critical out of 10 injured in Baton Rouge, shooter at large
At least 10 people have been hurt in a horrific shooting incident at the Mall of Louisiana. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, two of the injured are in critical condition.
Police Chief TJ Morse has ruled out any threat to public at this time; however, the shooter remains at large. He added that the incident was not a random act of violence.
Morse said: “Unfortunately there was some innocent people in the area that might have also caught some rounds.”
The initial investigation reveals that an argument between two groups of people sitting inside the food court escalated to the point that opened fire at each other.
Arounf six victims were taken to the hospital by emergency services while the others went for medical aid by personal vehicle. Some of the injured were undergoing surgery.
Officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were also present at the scene.
East Baton Rogue Mayor-President Sid Edwards was also present on the scene. He updated that all the civilians were excorted out of the building. He requested public to “keep the victims and their families in your prayers.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also released a statement, saying, “I am aware of the active shooter schene at the Mall of Louisiana.” He urged public to avoid the area, adding, “Sharon and I are praying for those affected.”
He also praised the law officials for their quick response to the incident.
The incident comes just hours after the police arrested a man on his way to Louisiana allegedly with the intent to carry out a mass shooting at a festival in New Orleans.
Entertainment
Prince William sparks AI debate in motorsport with ‘weak link’ remark
Prince William took a turn behind the scenes of high-speed innovation this week, visiting the headquarters of Jaguar TCS Racing and putting the spotlight firmly on the future of electric motorsport.
Sharing a clip from his visit on Instagram, the Prince of Wales captioned it: “Going green with Jaguar TCS Racing and Formula E!” a nod to the team’s push toward electrification, sustainability.
William also brought his trademark curiosity to the table, joking with engineers about how far automation in racing could eventually go.
Speaking during the visit, he quipped: “At what point does the driver become the weak link?”
Before pushing the thought further: “(At what point do we think) get rid of drivers, we’ll get an AI person in? We’re probably not far off that, are we?”
The Prince also spent time speaking 22-year-old Phoebe Russell, where the conversation turned to careers in motorsport and the barriers still faced by women entering the industry.
William asked: “Was it easy for you to find your way into this world?” to which Russell replied: “Not at all,” explaining she had early exposure to the sport through family connections.
After the visit, Russell admitted the encounter left her overwhelmed, saying: “Being asked to do a little career talk was very exciting.
The fact that he had so much awareness of the sport and so much interest, and it ties into his whole sustainability project, it was very interesting.”
Before leaving, William signed off with encouragement for the team ahead of their next challenge, telling them: “I’m very excited to see you racing, I’m going to cheer you guys on.”
Entertainment
How ‘Michael’ continues to smash the box office despite backlash
Michael has finally been released on April 24 and it is already getting a lot of attention, with people discussing how the story of Michael Jackson has been shown on screen.
The project has been in talks for a long time. It was first discussed in 2019 and later confirmed in 2022, so fans have been waiting for years to see it.
One of the biggest reasons for interest is that Jackson’s real life nephew Jaafar Jackson is playing him, which made people even more curious about how the film would turn out.
The producer Graham King shared that the goal was to show a fair and balanced version of Michael’s life, explaining the idea was to show him as a real person, not just focus on fame but also his struggles and personal side.
Before the release, some parts of the story got to be changed because of legal restrictions.
That means a few planned scenes were removed or adjusted before the final cut.
Even with all the debate and discussion around the film, early reactions suggest strong interest from audiences.
Many fans around the world are still excited to watch Michael and decide for themselves after seeing it, which is why expectations at the box office remain high.
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