24 February 2004	Tuesday	03 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, Feb 23: An anti-terrorism court on Monday sentenced Mubeen Ahmed Khan to death for kidnapping a man for ransom. Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-III also ordered confiscation of the convict's property worth Rs200,000.

Mubeen Ahmed was found guilty of having kidnapped Adnan Ali Hashmi for ransom. Co-accused Farrukh Ali Siddiqui was declared as absconder. The accused and the victim were friends and studying at a computer institute.

The accused called him at Nazimabad on the pretext of arranging a job for him and kidnapped him on Dec 12, 2003. Adnan Hashmi was kept at a house in Sabir Colony. The accused called Adnan's family through the mobile of the victim and demanded four million rupees for his release.

After a series of negotiation with Adnan's sister Amna, the accused agreed to accept Rs350,000 for the release. Amna handed over the ransom money to the kidnapper near Nihal Hospital, Kala Board. As a result, the victim was released.

Later, police arrestedMubeen Ahmed, on Dec 27. Amna identified accused Mubeen, a divisional accountant in the KWSB, before a judicial magistrate as well as in the trial court. Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa represented the state.

CHANDA CASE: An anti-terrorism court put off the hearing of two donation cases after the statements of six accused, belonging to the banned Khuddamul Islam.

Both the cases, registered by the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police, are being tried by the ATC-V, headed by Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch, who fixed Feb 25 for hearing the final arguments from special public prosecutor, Mazhar Qayyum, and defence attorney, Nihal Ahmed Hashmi. The activists - Syed Khalid Raza, Abdus Salam and Shakirullah - denied the charges.

The three were arrested on Nov 22, 2003 in front of Masjid-i- Quba in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block-7, where they were collecting donations from the passers-by. Police seized Rs2,500, a banner and two receipt books from the activists.

According to prosecution, other three accused of the banned outfit - Farrukh Nafees, Suleman Khan and Nauman - were also arrested on Nov 22, 2003 in front of Siddiq-i-Akbar mosque in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block-7, where they were collecting donations from the passers-by.

It was alleged that Farrukh Nasim, carrying a receipt book, was collecting money from the people and the two others were holding a banner. Besides the banner and receipt book, the police also seized Rs1,500 from the accused.

The accused also produced two defence witnesses, who were cross-examined by the special public prosecutor. The accused and the defence witnesses disputed the claim of police regarding the time and place of arrest.

They said that the accused were initially arrested by the Aziz Bhatti police on Nov 11 while the police showed their arrest on Nov 22, 2003. The accused and the defence witnesses said that they were given in judicial custody on Nov 14, and the next day they were released from the Landhi jail after being granted bail in another case.

The accused and defence witnesses said that the Aziz Bhatti police re-arrested them when they came out of the prison. The area police handed them over to Gulistan-i-Jauhar police. Later, they said, they were kept at the PIB and Sachal police stations.

Finally, according to the accused, they were handed over to the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police, who framed the case against them. During the cross-examination by the prosecutor, the defence witness denied to have filed any petition to the Sindh High Court or an application with the police high-ups regarding the "so- called" re-arrest of the accused.

The special public prosecutor said that since the defence witnesses also belonged to the organization of the accused persons, they were deposing falsely to defend their party activists.