KARACHI: ATC order in kidnapping for ransom case reserved
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 17: An anti-terrorism court reserved on Saturday judgement in a murder and kidnapping for ransom case of a six-year-old boy. Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Sept 21 for pronouncement of the judgment after hearing final arguments from special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa and defence counsel Fahim Riyaz Siddiqui.
Mohammed Tariq has been prosecuted for kidnapping and murdering son of his wife’s brother Mohammed Raees, a scrap dealer.
The accused allegedly took away victim Mohammed Siddique son of Mohammed Raees in the evening on Jan 1 when he was playing outside his house in Korangi. At midnight, the alleged kidnapper strangled the boy as he did not stop crying for going back home. He allegedly buried the boy in his house, located in the same vicinity, and demanded Rs2 million from his brother-in-law as ransom on phone.
Alleged kidnapper Tariq was the husband of Raees’ younger sister and he was arrested red-handed on Jan 7 at a public call office in Korangi while making a phone call on his cellular phone after being tracked down by a special team of police and CPLC.
The accused initially demanded Rs2 million for the release of the minor boy, but later he agreed to Rs1 million after a series of negotiations.
On Jan 7, the accused called the victim’s father on his cellular phone around 7pm and demanded the ransom. The accused told him that he would again call him to tell the place where he would receive the ransom. Around 9:30pm the kidnapper again called and asked him to bring the money near a sign-board at Korangi No. 2 ½.
The victim’s father reached the designated point to deliver the ransom on the advice of the police and CPLC officials who also stationed themselves at some distance. However, the caller did not turn up and after 20 minutes he again called on his phone from a nearby PCO. The alleged kidnapper was still talking to the victim’s father on phone when the police and CPLC officials tracked him down and arrested him.
The accused allegedly immediately broke down after being caught red-handed and admitted to have killed the boy. He then led the police and CPLC officials to his house where the body of his son was recovered.
<> BAIL REJECTED: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 rejected the bail application of an alleged accomplice of the sacked provincial revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh in a kidnapping for ransom.
Accused Mehfooz Ahmed, the only arrested accused in the case, Imtiaz Shaikh and co-accused Agha Asghar, Nasir Mehmood, Mehmood Zakir, Mohammad Ashfaq and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui were booked by the Korangi police on March 28 on the complaint of Zafar Iqbal, who alleged that his 17-year-old son was kidnapped on June 28, 2003, on the directives of the sacked minister.
The complainant alleged that the accused kidnapped Umer Iqbal from his house in Qayyumabad and demanded Rs1.5 million from his wife for the release of his son. He further alleged that the accused released his son after receiving Rs700,000 at the house of Imtiaz Shaikh.
Imtiaz Sheikh was granted interim bail by the Sindh High Court, which put off the matter till Sept 15 for confirmation of the bail. The remaining accused persons have been declared absconders.
Meanwhile, Shaukat H Zubedi filed power on behalf of Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh and sought adjournment. Special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum is representing the state.
Judge Baloch, granting the request of the defence counsel, fixed Oct 1 for indictment of the accused.
