KARACHI: A sessions court has extended pre-arrest bail of an officer of the police Counter-Terrorism Department booked in a case pertaining to kidnapping of a goldsmith for ransom.

Ejaz Butt, an official in the police CTD Garden cell, along with some six other officials has been booked for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of Majid Ikhlaq for ransom in June.

The matter came up before the additional district and sessions judge (Central) recently, when the suspect moved an application through his defence counsel seeking confirmation of pre-arrest bail granted to him on the last date.

Complainant Majid Ikhlaq was present, but his counsel could not turn up.

Therefore, the judge adjourned the hearing till Sept 2 for arguments on the bail confirmation plea by the complainant’s counsel. Till then, the interim pre-arrest bail of the suspect was extended.

According to the contents of the FIR, Mr Ikhlaq mentioned that he is a jeweller and on the midnight of June 27 some police officials took him away in a mobile van from his Nazimabad No. 1 house.

He further mentioned that the officials blindfolded him and kept him at the CTD Garden cell’s office, adding that the officials also took away his laptop, mobile phone, Rs25,000 cash and a gold chain.

The complainant further mentioned that they allegedly checked his personal information in his mobile phone and laptop at the CTD Garden cell’s office, where an official namely Ejaz Butt demanded Rs2 million ransom from him for his safe release.

However, the complainant said his brother Abdul Khaliq and a friend Irfan allegedly paid Rs700,000 to Ejaz Butt, who later freed him but threatened to implicate him in false criminal cases if the complainant disclosed the incident to anyone.

The official also allegedly got some documents signed by the complainant and his brother, the FIR added.

According to the FIR, the CTD official said he had to pay the money to his high-ups and freed him in a mobile van from the CTD Garden office the following day.

He alleged that the officials did not return his cell phone, laptop, cash, etc.

He lodged a case under Sections 365-A (kidnapping for ransom) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Rizvia Society police station against CTD official Ejaz Butt and some six other police officials.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2020