KARACHI, Aug 30: An anti-terrorism court on Friday issued notices on an application of Pakistan Navy asking it not to hear a kidnapping for ransom case against its detained naval personnel.

Police have arrested the PN man, Dilpazeer Akhtar, on Aug 27 in Clifton on alleged charges of kidnapping a fish trader for ransom.

Two senior officers of the PN appeared before Judge Saleem Raza Baloch of the ATC-III and submitted an application in court asking it not to hear the case as it would be heard in a military court.

They sought the custody of the suspect.

It was submitted in the application that the case could not be tired at this or any other civil court as the suspect in question was a member of the armed forces and under the military laws court martial proceedings would be initiated against the personnel involved in any criminal activity.The court issued notices to the prosecutor and the investigation officer of the case with a direction to submit or record their comments on the application on Sept 3.

Meanwhile, the naval officials also moved another application asking the court to restrain the police from producing the detained suspect before any court for remand or removal the custody from hospital till the disposal of the main application.

The special public prosecutor and the IO did not oppose the second application.

On Aug 29, the police submitted remand papers before the ATC stating that the suspect could not be brought in court as he was wounded and being treated at PNS Shifa Hospital and sought his physical remand.

IO Khan Tariq said that during initial investigations the suspect disclosed that he had committed the offence on the directives his superiors.

The court did not entertain the IO’s plea and directed him to bring the suspect in court in an ambulance in order to get his remand.

According to the prosecution, Abdul Khaliq was abducted near Boat Basin on Aug 24 by around five men when he along with his business partner and driver was going to Korangi Creek from the Karachi fish harbour. The kidnappers demanded a ransom for his safe release.

The police challenged a kidnapper when he was about to flee after collecting the ransom amount from the family of the captive in Clifton. The suspect was arrested after an encounter in a wounded condition and the police recovered ransom money, an unlicensed weapon, a service card of the Pakistan Navy and two fake cards from his possession, it added.

The prosecution further said that the captive was released by the kidnappers outside the office of SSP-South after the arrest of the suspect.

The main case (FIR 466/13) was registered against the suspect and his accomplices under Sections 365-A (kidnapping for ransom) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on a complaint of the victim’s son at the Boat Basin police station.

The police registered two more cases (FIR Nos. 467/13 & 468/13) against the suspect under Sections 324 (attempted murder) and 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the PPC and Section 23-A of the Sindh Arms Ordinance.