KARACHI, Oct 22: The Anti-terrorism Court-I on Monday recorded the queries the defence counsel put to Dr Abdul Wahab, who was allegedly kidnapped for ransom by Dr Mohammad Abrar Younus and his wife Huma in the limits of Shahrah-i-Noorjehan police station on April 12.

The defence counsel, Rana Mohammad Abdul Qayyum, cross-examining the kidnap victim said that the complainant, Dr Abdul Wahab, wanted to marry Dr Abrar’s wife and on his failure staged the kidnap drama. The counsel also raised another point that the complainant had taken Rs150,000 from the accused for a joint business venture. He was not willing to return the amount and, therefore, he plotted to implicate the accused in the kidnap case.

Dr Abdul Wahab denied the allegations.According to the prosecution, the accused had invited Dr Abdul Wahab to their residence in North Karachi on the pretext of their child’s circumcision and on his arrival, tied him to a bed and demanded Rs300,000 for his release. However, they agreed to reduce to amount to Rs40, 000 and asked his wife, Meraj Bano, the bring the amount to a certain place near their residence.

The accused couple came to the specified place, an intersection in North Karachi, on a motorcycle to receive the ransom but the police and the Anti-Violent Crime Cell team nabbed them as they were on their way back home after collecting the money.

Executives of the two telephone companies, whose connections were used by the complainant and the accused, had deposed in the court and one of them produced record confirming that some calls for ransom were made.

According to the special public prosecutor, Niamat Ali Randhawa, some of the calls were made minutes before the ransom money was handed over to the accused.The judge fixed Oct 23 for recording statement of the accused.