KARACHI: A police inspector was arrested while trying to escape from an antiterrorism court after the judge recalled the interim pre-arrest bail granted to him in a kidnapping for ransom case.

Inspector Shoaib Qureshi, who is posted in the Counter-Terrorism Department, has been booked over his alleged involvement in kidnapping two citizens for ransom in New Karachi.

On Monday, the ATC-XII judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, pronounced the order on the suspect’s application seeking confirmation of interim bail granted to him earlier.

The judge while observing that the applicant had failed to make out a case of confirmation recalled his interim bail.

Inspector Qureshi tried to escape from the courtroom as soon as the order was pronounced. However, policemen present there got hold of him, court staffers and lawyers said.

The investigating officer of the case had already filed an investigation report under Section 173 of the criminal procedure code stating that Inspector Qureshi was involved in commissioning of the offence of kidnapping for ransom.

The IO had further stated that both the captives had managed to escape from the illegal confinement of the police official. They later recorded their statements before investigators in which they implicated the inspector.

The investigator had also recommended to the police high-ups to take departmental action against Inspector Qureshi .

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023