February 20, 2008	Wednesday	Safar 12, 1429

KARACHI, Feb 19: An anti-terrorism court acquitted on Saturday an accused who was facing trial in a case pertaining to the kidnapping for ransom of a two-year-old boy.

According to the prosecution, Gul Zamin and his associates kidnapped two-year-old Talha, son of Munir Khan, on June 6, 2007 in the Quaidabad area when he was playing near his home.

The accused took the boy to Swat and sought a ransom of Rs3 million from his parents. Later they reduced the ransom amount and agreed on Rs0.3 million.

The accused released the boy after receiving the ransom money from the victim’s family.

Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon of ATC-II, who conducted the trial, pronounced the verdict after hearing the final arguments from both sides.

According to the verdict, the complainant had failed to identify the accused and there were contradictions in the witnesses’ statements. The prosecution had failed to prove the involvement of the accused in the case, the court said.

In the final arguments, the defence counsel had argued that his client was falsely implicated in the case and the prosecution had failed to give any proof of his involvement in the case. The counsel pleaded for the acquittal of the accused.

The special public prosecutor argued that the prosecution had proved the involvement of the accused and pleaded that he deserved the capital punishment.

The police registered a case (FIR No206/07) on the complaint of Munir Khan, father of the kidnapped boy, against the accused under Section 365-A/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Quaidabad police station. An Anti-violent Crime Unit team went to Swat and arrested accused Gul Zamin. The co-accused in the case, Sultan Malik, Sabir, Zubair and Imran were declared absconders by the court. About eight prosecution witnesses were testified in the case.

Jundullah activists

The administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts, Karachi, Justice Khwaja Naveed Ahmed, on Tuesday remanded three alleged activists of the banned militant outfit, Jundullah, in judicial custody till Feb 25, adds APP.

The accused, Qasim alias Toori, Danish alias Talha and Abid, were arrested on charges of terrorism, encounter with the police, possession of arms and ammunition and explosives during a raid by the Central Investigation Unit, Jamshed Town, from a bungalow in Shah Latif Town.

The accused were produced in court on Tuesday after the expiry of more than 20-day remand. After perusing police papers, the judge sent them to jail and directed the investigation officer to submit a charge-sheet against them on Feb 25 after which the trial would be entrusted to an anti-terrorism court.