Pak court accepts request to hold Davis'' trial in jail

M ZulqernainLahore, Feb 22 (PTI) A Pakistani court today acceptedthe government''s request to hold the trial of US officialRaymond Davis, arrested for gunning down two men last month,in a heavily guarded jail for security reasons.

The prosecution department of Punjab government hadfiled an application in the court of Additional District andSessions Judge Yousuf Aujla asking for Davis'' trial to be heldin the high-security Kot Lakhpat Jail where he is currentlybeing held.

Aujla accepted the application and ordered thatproceedings should be held within Kot Lakhpat Jail fromFebruary 25.

Davis could not be produced in a court on an earlieroccasion and the hearing was conducted throughvideo-conferencing.

Davis was arrested in Lahore on January 27 after heshot and killed two armed men he claimed were trying to robhim.

Police have rejected Davis'' statement that he acted inself-defence and have booked him for murder.

The case has been complicated by revelations thatDavis was working as a security contractor for the CIA.

The Pakistan government has rejected repeated USdemands for Davis to be freed on the grounds of diplomaticimmunity.