November 22, 2008	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 23, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 21: A complainant turned hostile before an anti-terrorism court on Friday during the hearing of a kidnap for ransom case of a schoolboy.

Shahzad, Danish, Shoaib and Arif are facing a trial for kidnapping five-year-old Javed while he was on his way to school in Baldia Town on March 27, 2008.

Ghulam Hussain, the complainant and father of the victim, appeared before Justice Annand Ram Hotwani of the ATC-III to testify. However, he refused to depose against the accused, claiming that he did not lodge any case against them.

The special public prosecutor, Mobashir Mirza, told the court that Ghulam Hussain had informed the police about the incident and lodged a case against the accused, adding that he also identified the accused before the police. The prosecutor then submitted some supporting documents, saying that the complainant was damaging the prosecution’s case by deviating from his previous stance since one of the accused was his nephew.

On the request of prosecution, the court declared the complainant hostile and adjourned the hearing till Nov 27.

Investigations were under way when the boy was pushed off Clifton Bridge allegedly by Shahzad, one of the kidnappers who appeared to be a cousin of Javed, to avoid being identified, according to the prosecution.