05 February 2005	Saturday	25 Zilhaj 1425

KARACHI, Feb 4: An anti-terrorism court sentenced on Friday six accused, including son of a senior superintendent of police, to death on two counts in a kidnapping-for-ransom case.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 awarded death penalty to Fida Hussain Khoso, son of SSP Nadir Khoso, Junaid Rehman, son of Abdul Rehman Ansari, deputy controller of the Karachi Building Control Authority, Qurban Ali Khoso, Abdul Rasheed, Mohammad Atiq Bajwah and Khalid Aziz, for kidnapping the son of a car dealer.

The gang of kidnappers was busted mid August last year after the delivery of Rs6.1 million ransom in Manchester, UK, and the subsequent release of victim Ahmed Naeem, who was kidnapped on June 11, 2004, from near his Gizri residence.

Suspects Mujeeb Khan 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. Four band members - Mujeebur Rehman Bhutto, Shahzad Ali Siddiqui, Yasir Khoso and Niaz Khoso - have been declared absconders in the case.

The victim was being driven to his house in a car when Abdur Rasheed, Mohammad Atiq Bajwa and Khalid Aziz, riding in a rented car (AFG-547), intercepted him at the 2nd Gizri street, DHA, phase-IV, dragged him out of the car at gunpoint, and took away in their car. Accused Ansari had rented the car from Mashallah Rent-A-Car.

The three accused later shifted the hostage into another car (ACY-652), being driven by accused Mujeebur Rehman Bhutto with accused Junaidur Rehman in the front seat.

A special team of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and the Anti-violence Crime Cell (AVCC) started the investigation after the registration of case on the complaint of Mohammad Iqbal, the victim's driver.

The victim was kept at the house of accused Qurban Ali Khoso in Mohammad Ali Goth, Bilal Colony, for 62 days. Accused Mujeeb Bhutto left for London after one week of the incident, and he contacted the victim's father on phone, demanding initially Rs50 million for his son's release.

On June 15, the victim's father received a letter from his abducted son, who stated that accused Bhutto would contact him for receiving the payment. Bhutto remained in contact with the victim's father, and finally, after a series of negotiations, the accused agreed to the amount of Rs6.1 million.

Accused Bhutto asked Mohammed Naeem to make the payment through Hundi in Manchester. He gave the victim's father a phone number (0044-7900567542) and number of Pakistani currency of 10-rupee and further instructed that these numbers be given to the person who would make payment of ransom.

The CPLC assigned one of its operators to deliver the ransom to accused Bhutto in Manchester. The ransom was paid on August 11, and on the same evening Bhutto phoned the victim's father, confirming the receipt of the ransom money.

Accused Bhutto informed accused Fida Hussian Khoso about the receipt of ransom at his mobile phone (0320-8277477), and asked him to set the victim free. Accused Khoso got the victim boarded in his car (T-150-E) and droped him in DHA on the night between August 11 and 12.

On the same night, Mujeebur Rahman Bhutto, Ghulam Bhutto and Syed Naqvi were arrestd in Manchester on a lead given by the CPLC. The ransom money, converted into 56,000 pounds sterling, was also seized from them. A close liaison between Manchester police and the Anti-violent Crime Cell, Karachi, led to the immediate arrest of Fida Khoso and Junaid Ansari on August 13.

Later, on August 20, accused Qurban Khoso and accused Abdur Rasheed were arrested, while accused Khalid Aziz and Atique Bajwah were apprehended on October 9. The gang is also allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a builder, Mohammad Ali, who was release after the payment of ransom in Manchester.