The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday granted bail to Natasha Danish, the driver booked in deadly Karsaz accident case last month, in drug use case. The court directed Natasha to submit Rs1 million surety bonds. During the proceedings on Monday, Natasha’s lawyer Farooq H Naek Advocate informed the court that his client had already been granted bail in the main Karsaz accident case after both the sides reached a settlement. The state prosecutor told the court that Natasha was ‘high’ when she was driving her car. Farooq Naek intervened saying there was an ambiguity in the medical report which said there was no methamphetamine in the blood. When the court asked the state’s lawyer how much quantity of methamphetamine was gauged in the blood, he said there was no mention of it the medical report. Farooq Naek said Natash has been under psychiatric treatment for years.

“It’s possible she might have been given such a medicine which is mentioned in the medical report,” he added. SHC’s Justice KK Agha said the settlement between the two sides was a big development. “The accused is a mother of three children and has been in jail for the last one and a half month,” he added. On August 19, a speeding Toyota Land Cruiser, driven by Natasha, hit three motorcycles and another car before overturning on the Karachi’s Karsaz Road. Sixty-year-old Imran Arif and his 22-year-old daughter Amna were killed in the accident, while three others were wounded. Subsequently, Natasha was booked and arrested. Police then formed a special investigation team to probe the accident registered against the suspect. During the investigation, the driver’s husband, Danish Iqbal, had also been named as a suspect.

However, he was later granted a seven-day protective pre-arrest bail by the Sindh High Court. On August 28, Sindh Inspector General (IG) of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon told media that Natasha was under the influence of narcotic methamphetamine (crystal meth) while driving. Consequently, a separated first information report (FIR) was registered by the police against Natasha under Section 11 (drinking liable to tazir) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order (PEHO) of 1979. Natasha was then granted bail in the accident case by the courts but, she would remain under custody until the conclusion of the narcotics case.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan