KARACHI, Oct 31: An anti-terrorism court acquitted six alleged associates of gangland leader Arshad Pappu in an extortion case. Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 exonerated Riaz, son of Sahib; Asghar Niazi, son of Qasim; Arshad, son of Ashraf; Shahnawaz, son of Luqman; Javed, son of Abdur Rehman, and Nadim, son of Shakoor; from the charges while giving them the benefit of doubt.

According to the prosecution, the accused demanded Rs1 million from complainant Shaikh Fazal Ellahi, owner of Japan Plastic Factory, situated on Suparco Road in the Maripur police limits.

It was alleged that the accused came at the factory on June 28 and gave the watchman a chit inscribed with the demand for Rs400,000. The factory owner reported the matter to the police accordingly.

According to the prosecution, On July 7 the six alleged associates of the gangland leader came to the factory at around 5pm to receive the money. The police, who had already covertly positioned themselves around the factory, arrested red-handedly Riyaz, Arshad, Asghar Niazi and Shahnawaz, while Javed and Nadim fled the scene. However, the two absconding accused were arrested on July 12 on the lead given by their arrested accomplices.

The case of prosecution had a major blow when the complainant in the case who appeared as a prosecution witness was declared hostile on the request of special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum as he did not identify any of the six accused.

STATEMENT RECORDED: Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 put off the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case after recording the statement of the accused person.