12 October 2004	Tuesday	26 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 11: Two accused in a Rs6 million kidnapping for ransom case, involving sons of three government officials, were remanded on Monday in police custody for interrogation by an anti-terrorism court.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5, who is already conducting the trial of four accused in the same case, ordered the investigators to complete the investigation against Atique Bajwah and Shahzad Ahmed within seven days and produce them in the court on Oct 18.

The court had on Oct 7 issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of seven absconding accused, including the two arrested on Oct 7. Mujeebur Rehman Bhutto, Khalid Aziz, Himmat Ali Khoso, Niaz Khoso and Yasir Khoso are still absconding.

Four accused - Fida Hussain Khoso, son of SSP Nadir Khoso, Junaid Ansari, son of KBCA official Abdul Rehman Ansari, Qurban Ali Khoso and Abdur Rasheed - have already been charged with the kidnapping of Ahmed Naeem, who was released after the payment of ransom in Manchester.

The gang of kidnappers, comprising the sons of a senior superintendent of police, a senior preventive officer of Customs and a deputy controller of the Karachi Building Control Authority, was busted last month.

The victim, a son of a Mercedeze vehicle dealer, was kidnapped on June 11 and the kidnappers released him after the payment of Rs6.1 million. Suspects Mujeeb Bhutto and Ghulam Murtaza Khan Bhutto, both sons of SPO Rano Khan Bhutto, and their alleged accomplice Saeed Naqi were arrested in Manchester immediately after the delivery of the ransom and the subsequent release of the victim.

Immediately afterwards, the Karachi police arrested the sons of the SSP and the KBCA official. A special team of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and Anti-violence Crime Cell (AVCC) started the investigation after the victim's father, Mohammed Ahmed of Shahnawaz Motors, reported the matter to the authorities.

The investigators intercepted ransom calls originating from Manchester. The kidnappers called the victim's family and initially demanded Rs50 million for his release. However, after a series of negotiations on phone from Manchester, the kidnapper agreed to accept 56,000 pounds sterling (Rs6.1 million).

MURDER CASE: Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Oct 13 for hearing the final arguments in a kidnapping-cum-murder case after recording the statements of the two accused.