KARACHI, July 3: An anti-terrorism court recorded on Thursday the statements of two prosecution witnesses in a murder and gangrape case.

Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Saturday for the next hearing after deposition by ASI Mohammed Afsar and head constable Noor Alam.

Accused Mohammed Naeem, who had earlier been declared an absconder in the case, is being prosecuted for murdering his newly-married friend and gangraping his bride on June 9, 2001.

Two accused, Ghulam Waris and Maqsood Ahmed, were earlier tried in the case by the same court, which had sentenced the latter and acquitted the former.

According to prosecution, accused Waris planned to rape the wife of his friend, Munawwar, on the very day of the couple’s wedding ceremony.

The accused murdered Munawwar and gang-raped his wife.

They also slit apart the throat of the woman in their bid to kill her after the gangrape and left the spot, presuming the rape victim dead.

The injured woman managed to drag herself to a window and cried for help. The neighbours shifted her to JPMC immediately where she was treated.

The Sharah-i-Faisal police arrested accused Maqsood and Waris following the statement of the victim woman.

She told the police that Maqsood was the friend of her husband and they both were involved in a real estate business, having their offices in the same vicinity.

The woman stated that Maqsood, with three others, came to her apartment around 6:30pm. She said she served the friends of her husbands with tea and went to her room.

She said that she was still in her room when she heard a shot. Immediately afterwards, she said, three of them entered her room.

She said the three gangraped her and accused Naeem cut her throat with a knife. The woman said she became unconscious and when she regained consciousness around 11pm, she cried for help.

Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa has so far examined seven prosecution witnesses, including the woman, against accused Naeem.

PW ASI Mohammed Afsar, who had arrested Naeem in Korangi on a tip-off, and PW HC Noor Mohammed were also cross- examined by Zahid Rohila, defence counsel appointed by the court on state expenses.