KARACHI, Dec 6: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday reserved its judgment in the kidnapping for ransom case of an American-Pakistani businessman.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 fixed December 14 for the pronouncement of verdict after hearing final arguments by special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum and defence counsels Mushtaq Ahmed and Mir Nawaz Khan Marwat.
The case pertained to the kidnapping of Najmul Tariq. The victim’s paternal nephew, Adeel Mansoor, and a head-constable, Khateebur Rehman, are facing the trial while two co-accused, Syed Saeed Umer and Arsalan, have been declared absconders.
According to the prosecution, three armed men kidnapped the US-based Pakistani businessman on April 6 this year in the parking lot of the Baqai Hospital, Nazimabad.
Accused Khateebur Rehman allegedly showed the victim his official service card and told him that he was under custody before they took him in his car to a seaside hut and demanded Rs50 million for his release.
It was alleged that Adeel, who was also present there, told his uncle that the kidnappers had agreed to reduce the ransom money to Rs25 million.
The kidnappers allegedly gave him an account number and asked him to deposit the money through a pay-order.
Accordingly, the victim got a pay-order for Rs25 million prepared from the Al-Barakah Islami Bank and deposited it in the given account number.
Later, he told his brother about kidnapping and ransom money. His brother contacted the bank and got the payment stopped.
Najmul Tariq narrated the matter to his friend, Mohammed Zafar, who took him to the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee. On April 10, the victim lodged an FIR against Adeel Mansoor as he became suspicious because of his presence with the kidnappers.
The police started investigation and tracked down Adeel Mansoor as the pay order was deposited in his account.
SIDE CLOSED: Judge Ghulam Ali A.. Samtio of the ATC-1 put off hearing of the case of kidnapping and murder of a minor girl after prosecution closed its side with the examination of the investigation officer.
The judge fixed December 8 for the next hearing when statement of the accused would be recorded.
The case pertains to the kidnapping and killing of 2½-year-old girl, Laiba, daughter of Rehmatullah, a transporter. She was kidnapped on April 27 in North Nazimabad. A around midnight, the family received a telephone call demanding Rs1.5 million in ransom. The family lodged an FIR at the Taimuria police station. Police and representatives of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee joined in the negotiations with the kidnaper and got the amount curtailed to Rs300,000.
Later, a place in F B Area was specified for the payment. The family made the payment to the kidnapper and he disclosed whereabouts of the girl. The family went to the place in Block 12, F B Area but found the girl dead inside a small room. She was killed on the previous day.
Later, police arrested Asadullah, first cousin of the girl’s father who lived just opposite his house. Hailing from South Waziristan, the 19-year-old accused is a class IX student.
He allegedly kidnapped the girl, took her to his house, strangled her with a necktie and stuffed her body into his cricket kit-bag, according to investigation reports.
It was alleged that he had thrown the body into a small room of the house near the place where he used to play cricket.
Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa examined 14 prosecution witnesses in the case.
