KARACHI, Feb 6: A judicial magistrate on Monday raided the Shah Faisal Colony police station and recovered a man alleged to be kept there in wrongful confinement. On directives of a district and sessions court, Judicial Magistrate (east) Malik Mohammad Akhtar carried out the raid on Monday evening, found Abinash in the police lock-up and got him released.

The magistrate ordered the station house officer and a duty officer of the Shah Faisal police station to appear before the district and sessions judge (east) on Tuesday and also directed the alleged detainee to attend the court.

Court sources said that the victim was apparently illegally confined to the police station for the past two days as the police failed to produce any FIR against him or any other document to justify his detention.

The magistrate got the captive released on a personal bond and directed the police officers to appear in court on Tuesday, they added.

The magistrate will submit his report on Tuesday before the district and sessions judge (east), who will decide the matter after hearing both sides.

A habeas corpus application was moved by the father of the detainee through his counsel under Section 491 of the criminal procedure code in court.

The applicant stated that the police picked up his son a couple of days back in Shah Faisal Colony and detained him at the police station.

He alleged that the police were demanding a bribe for the release of the victim, and prayed to the court for his recovery.

After a preliminary hearing, District and Sessions Judge (east) Sadiq Hussain Bhatti directed the judicial magistrate to carry out a raid and recover the victim if found in wrongful confinement.

Four convicted of robbery

A court on Monday convicted four men in a robbery case.

The court sentenced Mohammad Hafeez, Ameer Hamza and Mohammad Faisal to four years in prison, while their fourth accomplice got three-year prison term for his lesser role in robbing a house within the remit of the Azizabad police station in September 2006.

Assistant Additional District and Sessions Judge (central) Ali Ahmed Jan pronounced his verdict after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs10,000 each and in case of non-payment of fine the convicts would have to undergo an additional three-month imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, on Sept 11, 2006 the accused broke into the house of complainant Ali Haider, held the family members hostage and deprived them of cash, jewellery and other valuables. The police arrested the accused in March 2007. The victim had identified them before the court of a judicial magistrate during the identification parade.

A case (FIR 197/06) was registered under Sections 395 (punishment for dacoity), 392 (punishment for robbery), 412 (dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The accused were on bail and following the pronouncement of the verdict they were taken into custody and sent to prison to serve out their sentences.