KARACHI: ATC puts off hearing of convoy attack case
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, June 29: An anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the case pertaining to attack on corps commander’s convoy after recording the statement of a judicial magistrate. The judge fixed July 2 for the next hearing after the statement of JM Rajab Ali, who had recorded confessional statements of two of the 11 accused. Defence counsel M. R. Syed and Mushtaq Ahmed also cross-examined the prosecution witness.
Ataur Rehman alias Ibrahim, Shahzad Ahmed Bajwah, Yaqoob Saeed, Uzair Ahmed, Shoiab Siddiqui, Danish Inam, Najeebullah, Khurrum Saifullah, Shahzad Mukhtar and Khalid Rao are charged with a series of offences, including attack on the motorcade of Lt-Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat on June 10 last year on old Clifton bridge, which resulted in the death of six army personnel, three policemen and a passerby.
Adnan Shah alias Tipu, Mohammed Qasim, Maaz, Shahab, Bilal, Tayyeb, Hammad and Fasih have been declared absconders.
JM Rajab Ali stated before the court that he had recorded the judicial confessions of accused Shahzad Ahmed Bajwah and Ataur Rehman on June 30, 2004.
During cross-examination, the magistrate stated that he had asked the accused as to why they were making confessional statements.
RANSOM CASE: An anti-terrorism court put off hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case after recording the statement of the victim.
Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Thursday for the next hearing after the statement of Adnan Ali.
Nadeem Ashrafi alias Nadeem Katta, who was earlier an absconding accused in the case, is being tried for kidnapping of the 19-year-old victim on Sept 26, 2003 for ransom in the limits of Sir Syed Town police. The same court had earlier awarded death penalty to two accused -– Khalid Abbas and Mohammed Ali – in the instant case.
According to prosecution, the accused kidnapped Adnan and demanded Rs1 million for his release. The kidnappers used their victim’s cellular phone for negotiations with his family and asked them to bring the amount at a desolate place near Nagin Chowrangi.
In the meanwhile, the family reported the matter to the police and took the money to the kidnappers accordingly. As the accused were about to receive the money, the plain-clothed policemen tried to arrest them. However, only one of them, Khalid Abbas, could be arrested and accused Mohammed Ali fled.
Later the police recovered the hostage on a lead given by the arrested accused. They also arrested accused Mohammed Ali.
ACQUITTED: The judicial magistrate, East, Ganwer Khan Gadi, acquitted two milk -sellers in a case of adulteration.
Abdur Raheem and Zeashan were booked and arrested by food inspector Hanif Bhatti on Jan 24, 2001 near Baber Market in Landhi PS limits.
