KARACHI, Oct 9: Four witnesses testified in an anti-terrorism court on Tuesday and recalled how two boys kidnapped in Korangi were found dead in the same locality when their families failed to pay ransom to the abductors.
Seven-year-old Sajid Ilyas Masih, son of Ilyas Masih, and nine-year-old Ubaid Riaz Masih, son of Riaz Masih, were kidnapped in Christian Para, New Abadi, an area that falls in the jurisdiction of the Korangi police, on May 21, 2007.
Their bodies were found on May 30 in Korangi when their families failed to pay ransom for their release.
According to the prosecution, the unfortunate boys were allegedly kidnapped by Asif Masih, son of Anwar Masih, Rehman Dakait and Asal Din. The police registered an FIR (172/07) under Section 302 (Punishment of Qatl-i-amd) and Section 365-A (Kidnapping or abduction for extorting property, valuable security, etc) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7-e (Punishment for acts of terrorism including the offence of kidnapping for ransom) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.
The police arrested accused Asif Masih in Korangi. He was indicted on Sept 28. The accused pleaded “not guilty” and opted to contest the case.
Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon of the ATC-II recorded the testimony of witness Wahid Bux who said that he was a colleague of Ilyas Masih in a banking court. He said he went to see his colleague after the latter’s sudden absence from work and learnt about Sajid’s kidnapping.
Mr Bux said he accompanied his colleague in distress to the police station and also witnessed the process of the arrest of accused Asif Masih.
The second witness, Ilyas Masih, narrated his ordeal as to how his son disappeared, how he contacted the police and how a neighbourhood acquaintance, Sam Sun, told him about one Asif Masih whom he did not contact with regard to his son’s disappearance.
The third witness, Rehmat Masih, grandfather of Ubaid Riaz Masih, said that upon receiving information about the discovery of his grandson’s body he immediately went to the hospital and identified the body.
The fourth witness, Riaz Masih, father of Ubaid Riaz Masih, told the court he had been informed by one Manmohan about the kidnap plan of his son over a month before the actual offence took place. He added that Manmohan also subsequently confirmed that his son had been kidnapped by accused Asif Masih.
According to the prosecution, one of the kidnappers, who identified himself as Rehman Dakait, demanded a ransom of Rs2 million, saying that he had paid Rs1.5 million for the boys. He said he would release the kidnap victims in return for Rs2 million, pocketing a cut of Rs500,000.
The victims’ families told the abductors many times that they were unable to pay such huge ransom money. According to the prosecution, the kidnappers then killed the boys and disposed of the victims’ bodies stuffed in sacks.
The area police found the bodies on May 30 and shifted them, with the help of Edhi volunteers, to a hospital. They also informed the parents. The bodies were identified by the parents in the hospital.
While the bodies were buried after legal formalities, the accused remained untraced. In the meantime, Mr Sun disclosed he had seen Asif Masih take along the boys with him. The police subsequently arrested accused Asif Masif.
The court fixed Oct 10 for recording of testimonies of other witnesses.
