KARACHI, Aug 2: The additional district and sessions judge (west & south) on Saturday acquitted five persons in a dacoity case.

The accused, Asif Iqbal alias K. Area Wala, Yasir Arafat alias Nasir alias Saad, Mohammad Asif and Inayatullah Khan alias Tauseef were charged with a dacoity committed in the limits of the Preedy police station in March 2007.

The counsel for the accused, Maqbool-ur-Rahmen, had moved an acquittal application under Section 265-K of CrPC. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court pronounced its verdict.

The CID police had arrested the accused along with the activists, Mohammad Jan alias Mustafa, Ziaul Abedeen alias Zain, Mohammad Arshad alias Asad, Mohammad Zeeshan alias Shani alias Mustan Baloch and Mohammad Ahmed alias Waseem.

According to the prosecution, the activists were associated with the banned outfits, Tehrik-i-Islami and Lashkar-i-Mohammadi, and were planning attacks on political and religious figures during the general election.

The police had claimed to have recovered hand-grenades, TT pistols, detonators, bombs, bullets, petroleum jelly and other explosive substance from their possession.