KARACHI: A model court sentenced a former police constable to death for murdering a class-XI student in a fake encounter.

The judge also handed down life imprisonment to a former police Razakar, Zafar Abbas, for abetting the cold-blooded murder.

Accused Bannal and Zafar Abbas were found guilty of killing Atiqullah, a class-XI student of the Rangers College, and wounding his cousin Azizullah, a student of the Ghazi Foundation, near NIPA traffic intersection on Oct 7, 2016.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Haleem Ahmed of the Model Criminal Trial Court (East) pronounced his verdict reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

Model Court gives life term to co-accused Abbas

The judge noted that the prosecution had successfully proved the charges against both the accused.

The judge also ordered them to pay Rs1 million each as compensation to the legal heirs of the victim. On default, they would have to serve additional six-month imprisonment.

State prosecutor Ashraf Bhatti argued that Atiq and Aziz were going to the coaching centre on a motorcycle on Oct 7, 2016 when accused Bannal opened fire on them near NIPA.

He stated that a single bullet hit Atiq first and then pierced through Aziz.

The prosecutor said wounded Aziz rushed his cousin to the Liaquat National Hospital for treatment where Atiq died.

He claimed that being an eyewitness Aziz had deposed that constable Bannal had opened fire on them while Abbas was with him, who later lodged the FIR of a fake encounter in order to save their skins.

The prosecutor said sufficient material, forensic, medical and ocular evidence was available to establish the role of the accused with the commissioning of the offence.

He pleaded the court to punish them according to the law.

Constable Bannal admitted in his deposition that he had opened fire during an encounter.

Both accuse denied the allegation of the fake encounter and pleaded the court to acquit them.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim’s cousin, Imdadullah Shah, at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2022