KARACHI, Dec 18: Three accused, including a son of a senior superintendent of police, in a kidnapping for ransom case denied on Thursday the charges when an anti-terrorism court formally indicted them.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 fixed Dec 20 for recording statements of the prosecution witnesses after Asif Junejo, son of SSP Mumtaz Junejo, Alauddin Jenejo, son of Roshan Junejo (a town nazim from Sanghar), and Rustum Haider pleaded ”not guilty” and opted for trial.
The case pertained to the kidnapping of a 20-year-old man, who remained captive for 52 days and was released after the payment of Rs7 million as ransom.
The three accused were arrested on Nov 1, while five other accused, Ms Natasha alias Sonia, Zeeshan alias Burger, Abu Sufiyan, Haji Mashooq Brohi, and Rafique Jatt son of Dawood Jatt, have been declared absconders by the court.
Syed Raza Abbas Zaidi was allegedly kidnapped on Aug 30 from near Country Club Apartments, Sea View, where he had reached to meet Natasha on her request. The woman had allegedly called the victim on his cellular phone. The next day victim’s maternal uncle, Mansoor Javed, lodged the FIR against unknown kidnappers with the Darakhshan police.
According to prosecution, accused Rustum, along with absconding accused Zeeshan, Abu Sufiyan and Rafique Jatt, kidnapped Syed Raza Abbas as he waited for the woman. The kidnappers also took away victim’s car and later abandoned it within the limits of the Buffer Zone police.
The kidnapper initially demanded 20 million as ransom for the release of Raza. However, they agreed to release the victim for a ransom of Rs7 million after a series of negotiations with the family.
Accused Rustum, who was on a Honda 125CC bike, allegedly received the ransom money from Mohammed Irfan, a cousin of the victim, at a desolate place along the Hub River road on Oct 20 and released the victim accordingly.
According to prosecution, accused Asif Junejo and Mumtaz Junejo were also present in a Suzuki Mehran at a close distance when Rustum received the money. Rustum allegedly handed over the money bag to the two occupants of the car.
It was alleged that the accused was kept at a house owned by absconding accused Haji Mashooq Brohi, who reportedly got the loin’s share in the ransom money.
Meanwhile, the court ordered verification of the documents attached with the applications of accused Asif Junejo and Alauddin Junejo seeking better class in the Central Prison.
Earlier, the judge heard the arguments of defence counsel Ali Ahmed Junejo and special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum on the applications.
The defence counsel said accused Asif Junejo was a graduate and he may be given ‘B’ class in the jail. He said accused Alauddin belongs to a well-off family and he also deserved a better class.
However, the special public prosecutor requested the court for verification of the documents submitted by the accused.
