A judicial magistrate in Karachi on Monday rejected the post-arrest bail application of Natasha Danish, the driver involved in the deadly Karsaz Road accident, after her medical report revealed she was under the influence of methamphetamine (crystal meth). Danish was charged in a separate case filed by the police under Section 11 of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order (PEHO) of 1979, which pertains to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
On August 19, Danish was driving a speeding Toyota Land Cruiser that struck three motorcycles and a car before overturning. The accident claimed the lives of 60-year-old Imran Arif and his 22-year-old daughter, Amna, while injuring three others. Danish was subsequently arrested and charged with manslaughter.
The police later registered a separate case after Danish’s medical report confirmed the presence of crystal meth in her system. Initially, she was granted bail in the manslaughter case after the victims’ family pardoned her, but her bail application in the drug-related case was contested.
During the hearing before Judicial Magistrate (East) Muhammad Raza Ansari, the defense claimed that Danish’s blood and urine samples had been manipulated. However, state prosecutor Muzafar Soomro opposed the bail application, and the court found no evidence to support the defense’s claim of tampering. The court also dismissed nine objections raised by Danish’s family as having “no legal value.”
In his ruling, Judge Ansari stated that granting bail to Danish, a “highly educated woman” driving under the influence, would send a negative message to society. He emphasised that the gravity of the offense warranted the rejection of her bail plea.