July 15, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 11, 1429

HYDERABAD, July 14: Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate-VII Anwarul Siddiqui on Monday remanded two accused, one of them a Russian national, in police custody for a day in a case relating to purchase of property in Moscow.

The accused Evgeny V. Zaakkarov and Tanveer Ashraf were produced in court by Hali Road police after their arrest in Lahore four days ago.

Police had obtained their transit remand from the judicial magistrate concerned for three days to bring them to Hyderabad.

The accused were booked in two cases lodged against them on the complaint of Azizur Rehman, who held power of attorney of Goharullah, owner of a textile mills in Hyderabad.

The complainant accused the two of forging Gharullah’s power of attorney, who had purchased a property in Moscow from Evgeny V. Zaakkarov in 2006 but since he failed to make full payment Zaakkarov refused to sell his property on ground of increase in its value.

The counsel for defence Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed Bhutta said that the price of the property, which was a luxury bungalow, was now above $1 million and his client had no intention to sell it to Goharullah, who had filed a civil suit in court in Moscow and failed to make a case.

The suit was decreed in favour of Zaakkarov.

Mr Bhutta said that the cases had been lodged to intimidate his client into selling the property and argued that even if one believed the contents of the FIR they made no case against his clients.

He requested the court to discharge the case and filed bail applications, which would be heard on Tuesday after the one day remand expired.

Journalists tried to speak to Zaakkarov, who was in a joint venture of a power plant in Lahore with Tanveer Ashraf, but he kept quiet.

Press photographers complained that Tanveer Ashraf used abusive language and even kicked them when they tried to take their snaps.

Some cameramen and photographers took their pictures when the accused were produced in court but the civil judge seized their cameras in the courtroom.

The matter was reported to sessions judge who amicably settled the matter.