KARACHI, Sept 18: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday recorded the deposition of Mohammad Luqman, who is a plaintiff in a case pertaining to the kidnapping of his sister Shahida along with their nephew Zahid.
Shahida, a factory worker, was allegedly kidnapped by her two colleagues, Maqbool Ahmed and Ghulam Qasim, in the limits of the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police station on June 20, 2007.
Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon of ATC-II, who is conducting the trial, recorded the statement of Mr Luqman, who got the case registered with the police after his sister went missing.
He told the court that there had been no enmity between the abductors and his sister. Mr Luqman said that his sister, along with their two-and-a-half-year-old nephew, another sister’s son Zahid, had gone to purchase some medicines, but when they did not return even after several hours, he informed the police and started a search.
After a few days, the abductors sent an audio message demanding Rs800,000 as a ransom for the release of Shahida and Zahid, he added.
He said that police had also taken into custody Shazia, another colleague of his sister’s. The woman, he said, helped the police recognise the voice of the abductors.
The police conducted raids at the residence of Maqbool Ahmed, who admitted to his crime and revealed that the captives had been kept in the house of Ghulam Qasim.
The police and personnel of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) raided the residence of Ghulam Qasim in Orangi Sector 5-1/2 and recovered Shahida and Zahid on July 9, 2007.
On Sept 15, the court recorded the statement of witness Shazia, who was arrested and interrogated in the case. She was, however, released later.
The two accused, Maqbool Ahmed and Ghulam Qasim, are currently in judicial custody and have been charged with kidnapping for ransom.
The witness, Ms Shazia, told the court that she worked with Ms Shahida in the factory and was arrested on the complaint of the victim’s relatives, who had accused her of being involved in the crime. However, she added, she was released after interrogation.
During the process of investigation, police had played an audio recording, she said, adding that she was asked if she could recognize the voice.
The court asked the Special Public Prosecutor, Niamat Ali Randhawa, to produce the rest of the prosecution witnesses on Sept 21, the next date for the hearing, to record their statements in the case.
