KARACHI, May 7: A sessions court on Saturday sentenced a man to a total of 10 years in prison in a robbery case.

The court found Siraj Khan guilty of committing a robbery and making an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt to security guards and workers within the remit of the Shah Latif Town police station in August 2009.

An additional district and sessions court (Malir) handed down a jail term of seven years under Sections 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and three years under Section 395 (Punishment for dacoity) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

However, the court ruled that both the sentences would run concurrently.

The judge also imposed a fine of Rs25,000 and in case of non-payment, the convict would undergo an additional three-month imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, on Aug 13, 2009 a gang of bandits intercepted a security company cash van, carrying salaries of workers, and held the security guards at gunpoint as the van pulled over at the labour union office of the Port Qasim.

It added that the robbers fired into the air to scare away over 50 labourers who were waiting to withdraw their salaries and in the meantime a security guard opened fire on the bandits, hitting one of them. They returned fire, but the labourers managed to overpower the accused, two of whom were beaten to death while third robber Siraj Khan was rescued by police, the prosecution said.

Two workers were also wounded while five accused managed to flee from the crime scene.

A case (FIR No. 359/2009) was registered under Sections 395, 397 and 34 (common intention) of the PPC.

The accused was produced in custody on Saturday and the court extended the benefit of Section 382-B (period of detention to be considered while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of the criminal procedure code to the convict and sent him back to prison along with a conviction warrant to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

Meanwhile, the same court on Saturday sentenced a man to four years in jail in another robbery case.

Safdar was accused of committing a robbery in a jewellery shop within the remit of the Steel Town police station in January 2009 and the police managed to arrest him when he was fleeing from after committing the offence.

The court also directed the convict to pay a fine of Rs50,000 and in case of a default, he would undergo an additional six-month imprisonment. A case (FIR No 41/2009) was registered against the accused under Section 395 of the PPC on a complaint of the victim. — Staff Reporter