KARACHI: A sessions court has awarded total eight-year imprisonment to a man in a robbery case.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) Ghulam Mustafa Laghari found Umair guilty of committing a robbery and possession of an illegal weapon.

The court pronounced its verdict after recording evidence and arguments from both sides.

In addition to the jail term, the judge imposed fines of a total of Rs15,000 on the convict and in case of default, he would undergo an additional two-month imprisonment.

The court took a lenient view in awarding sentence due to the convict’s young age and the fact that he was a first-time offender.

Throughout the trial, the accused denied the allegations levelled against him. However, during cross-examination, the court noted that the accused failed to establish a case of false implication.

“No glaring contradiction was found by the accused to warrant the extension of the benefit of the doubt to him,” the court ruled.

The verdict read, “Even though all the material witnesses are independent, their evidence is corroborated and consistent with each other, and at no point was their testimony shaken by the accused.”

According to the prosecution, the complainant informed the police that last year she along with her son went to the Superior Science College in Shah Faisal Colony for his admission. However, two young men approached them, held them at gunpoint and snatched their mobile phones and valuables.

Fortunately, a police patrol arrived at the scene upon hearing the complainant’s call for help. The police chased and apprehended both the suspects, identified as Umair and underage suspect Aftab. After a search, the police recovered a .30-bore pistol and five live bullets from Umair.

During the investigation, the mother of the co-accused, Aftab, produced his birth certificate, which revealed that he was 16. Consequently, the investigation officer presented him before the concerned judicial magistrate, who remanded him to jail. The IO also separately submitted a challan before a juvenile court.

State prosecutor Zulfiqar Ali Shah presented four witnesses to support the case against the accused.

Two cases were registered at the Shah Faisal Colony police station under Sections 397 of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 23 (i) of the Sindh Arms Act 2013.

Bail granted

A sessions court granted bail to a man facing trial in a case pertaining to the killing of an official of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC) Gulistan-i-Jauhar in Dec 2021.

Former SBC secretary Irfan Mehar was targeted by gunmen near Chapal Plaza in Block-13.

Applicant Ghulam Akbar, who is victim’s brother-in-law, filed a post-arrest bail application before Additional District and Sessions Judge Abdul Zahoor Chandio.

After recording arguments, the judge granted him bail against a surety bond of Rs500,000.

“The applicant is entitled to bail in line with the rule of consistency. Under these circumstances, it is my humble estimation that the applicant has presented a strong case for bail,” the court order stated.

During proceedings, the applicant’s counsel highlighted that the FIR was filed against unknown individuals. Additionally, co-accused Wajid Hussain and Rahim Bux were granted bail by the Sindh High Court, along with the victim’s wife.

The counsel argued that despite 27 months of incarceration, no evidence had been presented against the suspect, with 16 witnesses examined by the prosecution.

In response, the complainant’s counsel opposed the bail application, acknowledging that the suspects’ names were not initially mentioned in the complaint. However, he argued that the applicant’s sister instigated her brother to allegedly murder his husband over an alleged property dispute.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2024