15 January 2004	Thursday	22 Ziqa'ad 1424

KARACHI, Jan 14: An anti-terrorism court put off on Wednesday hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case against three accused, including the son of a senior superintendent of police, after recording the statement of the victim's mother.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 fixed Thursday for recording further evidence after statement by Mrs Parveen Zaidi, who held a series of negotiations with the captors of her son.

The three accused - Asif Hussian Junejo, son of SSP Mumtaz Junejo, Alauddin Junejo, son of Roshan Junejo (a town nazim from Sanghar), and Rustum Haider - have been charged with 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. Next day victim's maternal uncle, Mansoor Javed, lodged an 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 victim's mother deposed before the court that the kidnapper initially demanded Rs100 million for her son's release. "Later, they reduced the amount to Rs50 million and finally on October 20 they agreed to accept Rs7 million", she said.

The woman submitted that the kidnappers told her that they would wait for the money near Ghani Chowrangi, SITE. She said her driver, Zubair, and his friend Irfan took the money to the culprits.

The victim's mother also place on record an audio cassette containing the negotiations between her and the kidnappers. The cassette was recorded with the assistance of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee. The judge also recorded that statement of another prosecution witness, Assistant Sub-inspector Alla Bachayo, who had registered the FIR.

Ali Ahmed Junejo, counsel for Alauddin Junejo, Amjad Hussain Shehto, counsel for Asif Hussain Junejo, and S. A. Ghaffar, counsel for Rustum also cross-examined the prosecution witnesses.

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. Special public prosecutor, Mazhar Qayyum, has so far examined seven prosecution witnesses.

SENTENCED: The district and sessions judge, Ms Hafeeza Usman, sentenced a man to suffer 14-year term for robbery and forgery. Accused Ashfaq alias Commando had looted the owner of Rasheed Merchants, Mohammed Khalid, and implicated an innocent man, Arif, in the case in 1997.

The case was registered by the City Court police. The judge acquitted Arif, who was in custody, and sentenced Ashfaq to a seven-year term for the theft and another seven-year term for fraudulently involving an innocent man in the case.