25 December 2004	Saturday	12 Ziqa'ad 1425

ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu notice of the kidnapping of two judges from Shikarpur and directed senior officials of the Sindh administration to submit a report within 10 days on steps taken for their recovery.

"Let a report be obtained within 10 days from the chief secretary and inspector-general of police of Sindh regarding action taken by them from time to time," a direction issued by Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui said.

Additional district and sessions judges Farooq Ali Channa and Abdul Wahab Abbasi were abducted on Dec 3 from the Ratodero-Ghari Yasin road near Ibn Odho village. A group of eight bandits intercepted their official vehicle when they were returning from Larkana and forced the judges to accompany them.

"They have not been recovered to date, even after the lapse of 20 days, which is a matter of grave concern," the order said. It asked the chief secretary and IG to ensure immediate steps for the recovery of the judges by a team of skilled professionals under their personal supervision.

"Safety and security of the abducted judges should be the prime consideration while handling the matter," the order said. Further action would be taken by the court after receiving the report, it said. A full court meeting of the Sindh High Court on Dec 4 expressed its concern over the kidnapping.

On Dec 21, Larkana, Shikarpur and Jacobabad police arrested 12 people of Mehrabpur Brohi village, allegedly involved in the kidnapping, during a joint operation in Gharhi Khero.

According to another order, the chief justice has also taken notice of a news item that appeared in Dawn on Dec 18, titled: Mandi police 'play a dirty trick'. The story concerned highhandedness of police towards a 13-year-old schoolboy Syed Azhar Iqbal Shah of Kuthiala Syedan, Mandi Bahauddin.

The chief justice directed the deputy inspector-general of police, Gujranwala, to hold an inquiry and report within 10 days. Registration of the matter as a suo motu case would be considered after the receipt of the report, the chief justice observed.

The boy had complained about atrocious conduct of police at the behest of an influential person in an attempt to grab the ancestral land of his father for the last one and a half years.

The attention of the chief justice towards the complaint was drawn by Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry with a request to take suo motu action against the delinquents and for enforcement of the fundamental rights under Articles 4 and 25 of the constitution.