Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Thursday allowed fashion model and television star Khushbakht Mirza alias Sofia Mirza to appear before magistrate concerned today (Friday) to seek concession of bail in a case of cheque bounce registered with Karachi police.
Earlier Sofia Mirza, presently in police custody, was produced before District and Session Judge Lahore who refused to entertain her bail application on the ground that the case belonged to Karachi. Sofia's counsel Azam Nazir Tarar approached the LHC against this order.
LHC allowing the petition observed that the offence of cheque dishonour was a bailable offence to the extent of woman accused and allowed Sofia Mirza to appear before magistrate concerned to obtain bail and restrained the police from removing her from Lahore till Friday (today).
Sofia Mirza who is detained at Women Police Station Race Course was arrested in connection with an FIR registered at Defence Police Station Karachi. Shahid Khan had lodged the FIR alleging that Sofia Mirza gave him a cheque against a sum of Rs 4 million. Complainant said the cheque was dishonoured by the bank concerned.
On the other side petitioner contended that Shahid was a close friend of her husband Umar Farooq with whom a litigation for the custody of her two minor daughters was pending. She alleged that Shahid at the behest of her husband managed to lodge the FIR relying upon a fake cheque. Earlier, the Lahore High Court had granted custody of the two minors to their mother Sofia and also ordered to put the names of minors on exit control list.
Umar Farooq had contracted love marriage with Sofia on February 16, 2006 and had twin daughters from this wedlock. Umer said that after birth of the minors she started blackmailing and harassing me. He moved a petition under Guardian and Wards Act for the custody of minors but the guardian court handed over the custody of minor to their mother.