KARACHI, July 25: An anti-terrorism court sentenced on Thursday four men, including a deputy superintendent of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and a police constable, to life imprisonment for kidnapping a businessman for ransom.

Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon of the ATC-2 also ordered the forfeiture of the entire movable and immovable property of Dr Khalid Moeen, deputy superintendent of the ASH belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, constable Saleemuddin, Saleem Tanoli and Mohammed Altaf, who had kidnapped a paper merchant and demanded Rs1.5 million for his release.

The judge, however, acquitted co-accused Saleem Memon, also a paper merchant, in the case as the prosecution could not bring on record evidence against him.

According to the prosecution, the gang of four, travelling on a Suzuki Margalla car, intercepted Rafique and his brother Ilyas around 11pm on January 17, 2000 near Dadabhoy Chowrangi in the police limits of Jamshed Quarters.

The interceptors, impersonating law-enforcement officials, forced the two brothers get into their car on the pretext of interrogation as constable Saleem, armed with a rifle, was in the official uniform.

On their way, the abductors dropped off Ilyas near Yasinabad Chowrangi in Federal B- Area and took away Rafique with them.

In the same evening, the kidnappers phoned the hostage’s family and demanded Rs1.5 million as ransom for the release of Rafique.

The Jamshed Quarter police registered a case initially against unknown kidnappers on the complaint of Razzak, a younger brother of abductee Rafique.

However, Rafique was released the next day by his captors without receiving any ransom.

The four accused, Dr Khalid Moeen, Saleem Tanoli, Saleemuddin and Mohammed Altaf, were arrested on February 23, 2000 by the Mubina Town police.

According to the prosecution, the four men disclosed their involvement in the kidnapping of the paper merchant during their interrogation. They also disclosed that they had kidnapped Rafique at the instance of Saleem Memon.

Police submitted the final chargesheet against the accused on March 14, 2000 in the ATC-2, then headed by Judge Abdul Hamid Abro. Saleem Memon was shown as absconder in the chargesheet. The judge, however, transferred the trial of the case to an ordinary court for want of jurisdiction.

The complainant of the case moved a petition with the Sindh High Court against the transfer of the case from ATC to sessions court. The SHC, however, dismissed the petition, upholding the transfer of the case to the sessions court.

Later, the complainant moved an appeal before the Supreme Court for remanding the case back to the ATC. The SC granted the appeal and the case was sent back to the ATC-2.

Meantime, police arrested Saleem Memon on March 22, 2000. Later, the accused obtained bail from the SHC. The complainant moved an application before the SHC for cancellation of bail. The SHC dismissed the application.

Finally, the ATC-2 formally arraigned the five accused in the case on June 27 this year. All the accused denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.

They deposed, in their defence, that they had been implicated due to their political affiliations and business grudge as the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping, Saleem Memon, was also a paper merchant, one of the four others was an active worker of the Muttahida and the accused constable had been the official guard of the deputy superintendent of Abbasi Shaheed hospital.

The prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum, examined, in all, 14 prosecution witnesses against the accused.

Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed represented Saleem Memon.

ARRAIGNED: An additional district and sessions judge, East, Syed Sagheer Husain Zaidi, indicted a leader and five workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in a case pertaining to violent activities.