KARACHI, Oct 20: An anti-terrorism court sentenced on Thursday four accused to death on two counts in the kidnapping and murder case of a young man. Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 condemned Fayyaz alias Papu, Mohammad Rehan Khan, Abdul Jabbar and Imran to death and imposed a fine of Rs100,000 each on them for the murder charge. The defaulter on the payment would have to undergo a five-year term.

The judge also sentenced the four accused to death under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The property of the each accused, worth Rs100,000, was also ordered to be confiscated to the state.

The accused kidnapped 30-year-old Mohammad Ali, father of an infant daughter, on Oct 10, 2004, and demanded Rs2.5 million for his release. As the family could not arrange the ransom amount, the accused killed the hostage and later his bullet-riddled body was found at a derelict place in Sohrab Goth.

Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa examined 13 prosecution witnesses, who included six eye-witnesses. Two brothers, a sister, a sister-in-law (bhabi) and the wife of the victim appeared as eye-witnesses and they recognised the four accused with their specific roles in the case.

According to the family members of the victim, the kidnappers initially demanded Rs2.5 million for Ali’s release. They said they went to negotiate with the kidnappers in the afternoon on Oct 11.

Fayyaz and Rehan came to a designated place in North Nazimabad for receiving the ransom money. The victim’s family could arrange only Rs100,000 and accused Fayyaz refused to accept the amount and asked them to bring Rs500,000 near Ziauddin Hospital in North Naziabad at 8pm.

The PWs deposed that victim’s wife, Samina, put her nine-month-old daughter at the feet of the accused and requested them to release her husband. Victim’s sister, Gul Bano, also sought her brother’s release, but to no avail.

The family members were still holding negotiations with the accused, when police mobile appeared there. The accused became jittery and fled after they saw police and heard some gunshots.

The police mobile came close to the victim family after the accused fled the scene and they informed the police official about the kidnapping. The police took them to the police station where a case was registered and victim’s bother Mohammed Yousuf was made complainant.

The accused while leaving the scene had asked the family to send only female members for the delivery of ransom amount near Ziauddin Hospital at 8pm. The wife, sister and sister-in-law of the victim reached the designated place with plain-clothes policemen covering them in a car and four motorcycles.

Accused Jabbar and Imran came on a bike at the designated place. The accused told the three women that this place was not suitable for the delivery of ransom and they asked the women to come close to a petrol pump near Karimabad Bridge.

The family members accordingly reached the place near Karimabad Bridge and offered the accused Rs150,000. The accused, however, refused to accept the amount. While the three women were still holding negotiations with the accused, they heard gunshots and the accused fled the scene and threatened that they would kill the victims famiy.

S. M. Iqbal appeared for accused Imran, Khawaja Naveed for accused Fayyaz, and Syed Mohammed Ali Shah for accused Rehan and Jabbar. Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa represented the state.

According to prosecution, accused Fayyaz was arrested along with some other suspects on Oct 19, 2004 in North Nazimabad by a team of anti-violent crime cell (AVCC), who had gone in the vicinity to arrest some other suspects. A kalashnikov rifle and other weapons were recovered from the suspects.

Later, during interrogation, Fayyaz revealed to have kidnapped and murdered Mohammed Ali along with his accomplices. The police on his lead arrested other accused on different dates and also recovered the victim’s bike.