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KARACHI, May 18: An anti-terrorism court issued on Wednesday non-bailable warrants for the arrest of sacked provincial minister Imtiaz Shaikh and five co-accused persons in a kidnapping for ransom case. Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 ordered the police to arrest the accused and produce them before the court on May 24.
Imtiaz Shaikh, Agha Asghar, Nasir Mehmood, Mehmood Zakir, Mohammed Ashfaq and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui have been shown absconding accused in the case, which pertained to the kidnapping of complainant Zafar Iqbal’s 12-year-old son. Mahfooz is the lone arrested accused in the case.
The complainant alleged in the FIR lodged at the Korangi police station on March 28, that the accused kidnapped his son from his house on the directives of Imtiaz Shaikh and they told his wife to pay Rs1.5 million as ransom for the release of his son.
It was alleged that the victim was later released on the payment of Rs 700,000 at the residence of Imtiaz Shaikh.
AFREEN BAIG CASE: The district and sessions judge, South, Agha Rafique Ahmed Khan, granted on Wednesday an application of Farooq Mengal, an accused in the murder case of his wife Afreen Baig, against the appointment of a special public prosecutor in the case.
Mengal is alleged to have masterminded the killing of the TV artiste. The driver of the victim and his wife, who was a maid at Mengal’s house, are co-accused in the case.
Azizullah Shaikh, counsel for Farooq Mengal, had moved the application against the appointment of M Ilyas Khan as special public prosecutor in the Afreen Baig murder case. The defence counsel contended that Ilyas Khan had sent a notice to Mengal’s lawyer on behalf of complaiant Ishtiaq Baig.
The court ordered that Ilyas Khan could not appear as special public prosecutor in the case. However, the judge observed, he may assist the district attorney on behalf of the complainant.
Afreen Baig, a TV artiste and producer, was killed at her DHA residence allegedly by her driver, Mohammad Bux Umrani, and his wife, Zahida.
Mohammad Bux gave his confessional statement before a judicial magistrate and stated that he had killed the woman on the inducement of her husband, Farooq Mengal.
The driver, who said Farooq Mengal had promised to give him Rs1 million for killing Afreen Baig, was given to the judicial custody by the judicial magistrate after his confessional statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC).
The accused, confessing conspiracy, said that Farooq Maingal was angry as he suspected illicit relationship of Afreen with her former husband Masjood.
While giving his confessional statement before a judicial magistrate, the driver of the artiste, Mohammed Bux Umrani, stated that the victim’s husband had promised to give him Rs1 million for killing the woman.
The driver quoted Mengal as telling him that he suspected illicit relationship between Afreen and her former husband, Masjood. “Saab told me that he could not divorce his wife due to social pressure as he had already divorced his first wife”.
The driver stated that in case of divorce, he would have to give his wife alimony of Rs1 million.
Giving the details of the murder, Mohammad Bux said he sent his wife, Zahida, to Afreen’s room to bring the victim’s cellular phone downstairs.
He said Afreen became infuriated and came down chasing his wife. He said that as she came down, he slapped her and then trussed her up with a sofa.
Then, he said, he made her sign two cheques for Rs250,000 each. He said he made the woman drink the entire bottle of Red Label (Scotch Whisky). Moreover, then made her drink a glass of milk, laced with sedatives.
Mohammad Bux said the woman started vomiting and he gagged her mouth and killed her. “Then, I shifted her to the bathtub and left for purchasing air tickets for his wife and himself.
He said he returned with the air tickets and then went to the bank for withdrawing the money. He said since the amount was hefty, the bank manager insisted to talk to the account holder. He said his wife was holding the victim’s cellular phone and she impersonated Afreen when the manager called her.
He said the watchman of the neighbours saw them leaving the victim’s house in a haste.
He also stated that Farooq Mengal was in contact with them during and after the incident.
The trial court has framed charges on the three accused, who are in jail. The court has already rejected the bail applications of the accused.
The judge fixed May 21 for the next regular hearing of the case.
