KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to five accused, including four policemen, for kidnapping two citizens for ransom in 2017.

Police Inspector Afzal Qureshi, constables Ghulam Nabi, Abid Ali and Muhammad Qasim were found guilty of kidnapping Saqib and Arif with connivance of a private person, Waqar Hussain.

The suspects had kidnapped Saqib and Asif within the jurisdiction of the Shah Faisal police station.

On Thursday, the ATC-XII judge, who conducted the trial in the judicial complex within the central prison, pronounced his verdict reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The judge noted that the prosecution had successfully proved its case against detained accused Waqar Hussain and absconding police officials – Inspector Qureshi and constables Ghulam Nabi, Ali and Qasim.

The judge also ordered them to pay a fine of Rs200,000 each or serve additional six-year imprisonment on default.

The judge also handed down life imprisonment to all the convicts for committing dacoity in the house of the abductees. They were ordered to pay Rs200,000 fine or undergo additional six-year imprisonment.

Separately, the judge awarded three-year imprisonment to the four police officials for deliberately concealing themselves and obstructing the trials since they absconded after obtaining pre-arrest bail from the Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit bench.

The judge directed the investigating officer to arrest the four policemen, who had already been declared proclaimed offenders by the court, to serve out the sentences awarded to them in absentia.

According to the prosecution, around 13 or 14 men introducing themselves as police officials broke into the house of complainant Shamim Akhtar in Shah Faisal Colony on Feb 7, 2017.

It further mentioned that the men armed with lethal weapons took away her son and his friend along with gold ornaments and Rs700,000 cash.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2022