KARACHI, Sept 21: A man who kidnapped and murdered the six-year-old son of his wife’s brother was sentenced on Wednesday to death on two counts by an anti-terrorism court.
Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 also ordered confiscation of the accused’s property worth Rs100,000 for kidnapping the victim for ransom.
Mohammed Tariq was found guilty of having kidnapped and murdered Mohammed Siddique, who was the son of his wife’s brother Mohammed Raees, a scrap dealer.
The accused, himself father of two minor sons, took away the boy on Jan 1 around 2:30pm 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 buried the boy in his house and demanded Rs2 million from his brother-in-law as ransom on phone.
Tariq was the husband of Raees’ younger sister and was arrested red-handed on Jan 7 at a PCO in Korangi while making a phone call on the cellular phone of victim’s father after being tracked down by a special team of police and Citizen-Police Liaison Committee.
The victim’s father submitted that the accused initially demanded Rs2 million for the release of his son, but later he agreed to pay Rs1 million after a series of negotiations.
According to Mohammed Raees, the accused called him on his cellular phone on Jan 7 around 7pm and demanded the ransom. He said the accused told him that he would again call him to tell the place where he would receive the ransom. He said 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 stated that he 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, he said, the caller did not turn up and after 20 minutes, he again called on his phone from a nearby PCO.
He said he was still talking to him when the police and CPLC officials tracked down him and arrested him at the PCO.
The accused immediately broke down after being caught red-handed and admitted to have killed his son. He then led the police and CPLC officials to his house where the body was recovered. A video was also filmed when the body was exhumed.
Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa examined in all six prosecution witnesses.
He said the court sentenced the accused to death for kidnapping the victim for ransom. Another death sentence was handed down to him for killing the boy, he added.
The prosecutor said the court also imposed a fine of Rs100,000 on the accused for the murder of the victim. He will have to undergo an additional two-year term in case of default on the payment, he added.
CONVOY ATTACK CASE: Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 adjourned the hearing of the corps commander’s convoy attack case against 11 workers of the banned Jundullah group after recording the statements of two prosecution witness, who included an eye-witness.
The judge fixed Sept 27 for the next hearing after the depositions of Lance Naik Mohammed Safdar and assistant sub-inspector Abid Farooq of the Bomb Disposal Squad, who were also cross-examined by defence counsel M. R. Syed and Mushtaq Ahmed.
The lance naik identified accused Khurrum Saifullah as one of the attackers.
He said that he had identified the accused during the identification parade before a judicial magistrate on June 22, 2004.
The prosecution, represented by Iqtidar Ali Hashmi and Maula Bux Bhatti, has, so far, examined 24 prosecution witnesses.
Ataur Rehman alias Ibrahim, Shahzad Ahmed Bajwah, Yaqoob Saeed, Uzair Ahmed, Shoiab Siddiqui, Danish Inam, Najeebullah, Khurrum Saifullah, Shahzad Mukhtar, Khalid Rao and Adnan Shah alias Tipu have been charged with a series of offences, including attack on the motorcade of Lt-Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat on June 10 last year on the old Clifton bridge, which resulted in the death of six army personnel, three policemen and a passer-by.
Mohammed Qasim, Maaz, Shahab, Bilal, Tayyeb, Hammad and Fasih have been declared absconders.
DIG ATTACK CASE: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 put off the hearing of the DIG attack case after recording the statement of a prosecution witness.
The judge fixed Thursday for the next hearing after special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum examined Inspector Abdul Shakoor, who was also cross-examined by defence counsel Masood Khan.
DIG investigation escaped unhurt from life attempt allegedly committed by the accused who came at the DIG’s office to submit his application regarding expedite investigation into his case.
Accused allegedly fired a bullet on the DIG but he narrowly escaped and the accused was arrested. An illegal pistol and live bullets were allegedly seized from his possession.
Bashir Awan was booked under Sections 452/353/324/506-B of the PPC and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at Mithadar police station.
