October 08, 2008	Wednesday	Shawwal 08, 1429

KARACHI, Oct 7: The civil judge and judicial magistrate, Khushi Mohammad, on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of a bank employee in a case pertaining to the suicide of a bank defaulter.

The warrants were issued against Shaikh Mohammad Atif, a member of the bank’s recovery team, after he failed to appear in the court in response to the notices issued earlier. The accused had managed to get bail from anther court and since then he is evading proceedings of the case.

The court directed the police to arrest the accused and produce him in the court on October 25.

According to the prosecution, Mohammad Tufail Shah, 26, who had defaulted on a loan, committed suicide on April 27 by hanging himself from the ceiling fan of his house in New Karachi. Earlier that day, a loan recovery team had visited his house and had reportedly misbehaved with his mother and sister which caused the debtor immense stress and depression.

A case (FIR No.87/2008) under Sections 322, 316, 504 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code was registered at the New Karachi police station on the complaint of Tufail’s mother.

On May 2, police arrested Sheikh Mohammad Atif, who was heading the loan recovery team when they visited Tufail’s house. Atif had filed a bail application in the Sindh High Court which was turned down. Later, he moved the Supreme Court and got the bail granted.

Suspected terrorists

The trial of five suspected militants charged with plotting suicide bombing during an Ashura procession and mixing of cyanide in drinking water was deferred till October 22 as the additional district and session judge, central, Nilofar Shahnawaz, was on leave.

The court had framed charges against the accused on June 28 for possessing illegal weapons and explosive substance with intention to carry out attacks on Ashura procession in Karachi. The accused had pleaded not guilty.