KARACHI: An anti-corruption court issued on Wednesday warrants against some senior officials of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and others in a land scam case.

After admitting a direct complaint, the judge of special provincial anti-corruption court Iqbal Hussain Maitlo issued bailable warrants for the arrest of the then director general KDA, assistant director KDA (land wing), sub-registrar New Karachi, and some private suspects for their alleged involvement in the illegal lease of a plot in New Karachi in 2011-12.

The court in its order said that after recording the statement of complainant under Section 200 (examination of complainant) of CrPC, the matter was sent for preliminary enquiry to the Anti-Corruption Establishment and the enquiry officer’s report was in the favour of the complainant.

According to the record placed before the court, the plot in question was leased out to the complainant in 1977 and thereafter he went abroad. After manipulating a sale agreement between the complainant and the main suspect Sonia Patrick got the property leased to her name in collusion with the KDA officials and then she sold it to one Mohammad Nadeem.

The court observed that the direct complaint required consideration since there appeared, prima facie, a case against the proposed accused as they allegedly executed subsequent sale, agreement, mutation, lease deed and sale deed when the complainant was out of the country.

Bail dismissed in DSP’s murder case

An antiterrorism court dismissed on Wednesday the bail applications of two accused in a case pertaining to the murder of a deputy superintendent of police.

Ishtiaq alias Policewala, Syed Abu Irfan alias Urfee, Syed Zakir Hussain, Obaid alias K2, Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Syed Shakir Shah and Khawaja Faisal, said to be political activists, have been charged with allegedly killing DSP Nawaz Ranjha and his driver on M.A. Jinnah Road near the Radio Pakistan building when the police officer was returning from his duty in August 2010.

Shakir Shah and Shafiq-ur-Rehman through their counsel moved bail applications; after hearing arguments from both sides, an ATC judge, who is conducting the trial at judicial complex inside the central prison, dismissed the applications and adjourned the hearing till Oct 16 for evidence of witnesses.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to commit murder), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at Preedy police station.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2017