The Lahore sessions court on Monday dismissed the interim bail application of Khawaja Aqeel, better known as Gogi Butt, in the Ameer Balaj murder case, citing his non-appearance and non-compliance with court orders.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Najaf Haider presided over the hearing. The suspect had failed to appear in court after the expiry of his interim bail. His lawyer initially requested a brief postponement to allow time for his client’s appearance, which the court granted. However, when the suspect did not appear even after the adjournment, the judge dismissed the bail plea.
The court’s order stated that the bail petition was rejected for non-prosecution after repeated calls went unanswered by both the accused and his counsel.
Background of case
According to the case details, Chuhng Police Station had registered a murder case against Gogi Butt and others in connection with the killing of Ameer Balaj, a businessman and owner of a goods transport network.
Balaj was shot dead during a wedding ceremony in Lahore’s Chuhng area in February last year. He was the son of Arif Ameer, popularly known as Tipu Truckanwala, who himself was murdered in a gun attack at Lahore airport in 2010.
Also Read: Teefi Butt killed in police custody by own associates
During earlier proceedings, the court had extended Gogi Butt’s interim bail until October 13, directing all parties to present arguments on the next hearing. Despite these instructions, the suspect failed to comply, leading to the dismissal of his bail.
Suspect claims innocence in bail plea
In his bail application, Gogi Butt had claimed that he was falsely implicated in the murder case due to personal enmity and had no connection with the killing of Ameer Balaj. The plea sought interim bail to avoid arrest, asserting that the police had nominated him on political and personal grounds.
The court, however, dismissed the application after the accused failed to appear for the scheduled hearing.
Investigating officer present during proceedings
Investigating Officer Muhammad Latif from the Criminal Control Department (CCD) was present in court during Monday’s proceedings. The court noted his attendance and acknowledged that despite the officer’s readiness, the suspect had chosen not to appear.
Co-suspect Teefi Butt killed in encounter
Meanwhile, notorious gangster Teefi Butt - a co-suspect in the Ameer Balaj murder case - was shot dead by his own associates during an alleged police encounter on the outskirts of Rahim Yar Khan on Saturday morning.
According to initial reports, Teefi Butt had been arrested from Dubai through Interpol and brought back to Pakistan for investigation. Police sources said that while he was being transported to Lahore for questioning, two of his close associates attacked the police convoy on Ahmedpur Lama Road and opened fire.
