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KARACHI, Jan 7: An anti-terrorism court adjourned, on Wednesday, the hearing of a kidnapping-cum-murder case against two students after recording the statement of the investigation officer.
Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-III also summoned the concerned official of the registration office along with the relevant record to ascertain the age of one of the two accused.
Waqar Shamsi, a student of Class IX, and his friend, Mohammed Arshad, are being tried for kidnapping and killing Hafiz Mohammed Umer, who was the classmate of Shamsi, by the court under Juvenile Justice System Ordinance, 2000.
According to the prosecution, Waqar Shamsi and his two alleged accomplices kidnapped Hafiz Mohammed Umer for ransom and strangled their victim on Sept 16, 2003.
Accused Shamsi allegedly called Umer to his house and took him to the house of his friends - Mohammed Arshad and Imran Masih alias Raja - in Akhtar Colony. They allegedly injected a mouse-killing drug to the victim and taped his mouth. Later, the accused allegedly strangled the captive with an electric wire.
The accused allegedly called the victim's family and demanded Rs3 million as ransom for the release of Umer. They asked the family to deliver the money at the Mehmoodabad graveyard or they would kill the hostage.
The investigation officer, Sub-inspector Mohammed Babar, deposed before the court that Shamsi was picked up from his house after the victim's family cast doubt on him. He said the teenaged accused broke up when he was tactfully interrogated.
The investigation officer said Shamsi had confessed to have kidnapped and killed the victim and the police recovered the body next day on the lead given by him. After a couple of days, accused Arshad was arrested from Korangi, where he was hiding in the house of his maternal aunt.
Following the statement, the judge put off the hearing of the case till Jan 8 when the defence counsel for the two accused, Wazir Hussain Khoso, would cross-examine the prosecution witness.
The judge summoned the concerned official of the registration office on an application of special public prosecutor, Naimat Ali Randhawa, for ascertaining the age of accused Shamsi.
The SPP contended that the Form B, produced by accused Shamsi, appeared to be forged and it needed verification from the registration office. The ATC-III was assigned the trial of the juvenile accused by the home department under a notification.
The prosecution examined seven witnesses, including the brother, father and the maternal uncle of the victim. One of the prime witness for the prosecution was the owner of the house, where the victim was kept and killed.
According to the house owner, Maqbool Hussain, he had rented out his house to accused Imran Masih and Mohammed Arshad. He said the two accused had given him the two-month rent on Nov 15.
The prosecution witness stated that he saw accused Imran and Arshad going into the house around 3:30pm. After a little while, he said, accused Waqar Shamsi along with Hafiz Umer reached the house. The house owner submitted that next morning police came there along with Shamsi and recovered the body of the victim from the house.
RANSOM CASE: An anti-terrorism court put off the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case against three accused, including the son of a senior superintendent of police, after one of the defence counsel completed the cross-examination of a prosecution witness.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-V fixed Jan 14 for recording further evidence after the cross-examination of Mohammed Irfan, who had handed over Rs7 million to the kidnappers as ransom money for the release of the hostage Syed Raza Abbas Zaidi.
Accused Asif Hussain Junejo, son of SSP Mumtaz Junejo, Alauddin Jenejo, son of Roshan Junejo (Town Nazim in Sanghar), and Rustum Haider are being tried for kidnapping 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 - 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 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. Next day victim's maternal uncle, Mansoor Javed, lodge the FIR against unknown kidnappers with the Darkhshan police.
According to the prosecution, accused Rustum along with absconding accused Zeeshan, Abu Sufiyan and Rafique Jatt kidnapped Raza, as he was waiting for the woman. The kidnappers also took away victim's car and later left it within the limits of the Buffer Zone police. The kidnapper initially demanded Rs20 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. Special public prosecutor, Mazhar Qayyum, has so far examined five prosecution witnesses.
