KARACHI, May 16: Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the Sindh High Court, who is also the administrative judge of the Anti-Terrorism Courts in Karachi, on Monday accepting the charge-sheet against Mahfooz Ahmed, an alleged associate of sacked provincial minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh in a kidnapping for ransom case, sent his case to ATC-V for trial.

The investigation officer of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell submitted the charge-sheet before the judge on Monday.

Mahfooz is named as a co-accused in the case against Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh, Agha Asghar, Nasir Mehmood, Mehmood Zakir, Mohammad Ashfaq and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui.

They are accused of kidnapping Umer Iqbal, 17, for ransom on June 28, 2003 in Qayyumabad.

Zafar Iqbal, complainant of the case, alleged in the FIR lodged at the Korangi police station on March 28 that the accused kidnapped his son from his house on the directives of Imtiaz Sheikh and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui and told his wife to pay Rs1.5 million as ransom for his release.

The kidnap victim was later released on the payment of Rs700,000 at the house of Imtiaz Sheikh in Defence. The police had arrested Mahfooz on May 3. — PPI