KARACHI: A local court in Karachi released four suspects arrested by law enforcers for their alleged involvement in the hoarding of surgical masks.
As per details, the police presented four suspects in the court of Judicial Magistrate South over alleged hoarding of the masks and request their physical remand.
The judicial magistrate turned down the appeal of police for remand and directed the release of suspects under section 63 of the criminal procedure code.
The judge remarked the police failed to follow the law in the registration of the case, added that no one could be trailed in the absence of advance.
The accused lawyer claimed in the court that the detained men were distributing free surgical masks as social responsibility.
An artificial scarcity of the surgical masks observed after the first two cases of coronavirus diseases emerged in Pakistan causing the sale of the masks on excessive rates in the shops and market.
READ MORE: READ MORE: Face masks, protective equipment prices hike in Karachi
It is worth to mention here, Pakistan Rangers Sindh on 29 February had conducted a targeted raid in Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Faisal and arrested two suspects involved in the hoarding of 74,000 surgical masks.
Rangers’ spokesman said on an intelligence report, the paramilitary force conducted a raid at PECHS area and apprehended an owner of a car showroom who was involved in the illegal practice amid the fear of coronavirus in public.
It further said the rangers on the hint of accused Mohammad Usman sized 74,000 surgical masks and 200 infusion water drips from a house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal 13-D.
The accused had purchased a large quantity of the masks in partnership with a car showroom owner Muzammil, the spokesman added. He further informed the accused was selling the masks at the OLX at an inflated price.
