KARACHI: The Sindh High Court was told on Friday that the director of finance of the Karachi University was arrested in a case of theft lodged at the Sohrab Goth police station in 2013.

A two-judge bench comprising Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Shahnawaz Tariq appointed the senior superintendent of police, East, as an inquiry officer into the matter and directed him to submit his report in court by Aug 8.

Acting Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court Faisal Arab had on Thursday directed the acting inspector general of police, home secretary and other authorities concerned to give their respective replies in a petition seeking the recovery of a brother-in-law of an SHC judge allegedly kidnapped by personnel of police and other law enforcement agencies.

The victim, Qazi Zafar Abbas, director of finance at the University of Karachi and husband of a sister of an SHC judge, was picked up by police and other law enforcement agencies in the morning when he was being driven to the university.

The director of the KU’s legal department, Asif Mukhtar, sent an application to the SHC acting chief justice regarding the abduction of the finance director by LEAs in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

Quoting the victim’s driver, Haider Zaman, the applicant said the police and LEAs personnel intercepted their vehicle near Rab Medical Centre and took away Mr Abbas.

The applicant said that the victim was a diabetic and heart patient and his life was in danger.

He asked the court to direct the police and LEAs to produce the ‘missing person’ in court.

The acting chief justice converted the application of the KU director (legal) into a constitutional petition and directed all authorities concerned to submit their comments in the matter.

On Friday, a police officer filed comments on behalf of the IGP stating that a woman, Shamim, alias Maryam, lodged an FIR at the Sohrab Goth police station against Qazi Athar Abbas and his son, Qazi Zafar, under Sections 382, 452 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

It was said that on Dec 16, 2013 the trial court put the case against the absconding accused persons — Qazi Zafar and his father — on dormant file till their arrest.

The IGP’s comments said that the court of 4th civil judge/judicial magistrate, Malir, refused to issue warrants against the absconders.

Later, it was submitted, the complainant woman filed a constitutional petition in the SHC assailing the trial court order of Dec 12.

The police said the judicial magistrate in compliance of the SHC order dated July 1, 2014 issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of the absconding accused persons on July 15.

The SHC bench was informed that Sub-Inspector Mehboob Ellahi of the Gadap police station arrested Qazi Zafar and later handed him over to superintendent of Malir Jail on Friday afternoon.

According to the FIR, Qazi Zafar, his father with other accused persons came to the house of the complainant woman, threatened the inmates and took away a cellular phone and Rs10,000 from the house.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2014