KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced four men to death for abducting and killing two minor boys as well as for raping them and demanding ransom.

The ATC-VII judge, after hearing arguments and recording evidence from both sides, said the court found the accused, Muhammad Qurban alias Irfan, Muhammad Imran alias Mann, Waseem Khan alias Waheed Pathan and Muhammad Ramzan alias Babu Odh guilty of abducting and killing two minor boys as well as raping them and demanding ransom in 2016.

“These convicts shall be hanged by the neck until death, subject to confirmation by the Hon’ble High Court of Sindh,” the court ruled.

Additionally, the court sentenced the four to life imprisonment for offences under sections 377 (rape) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The convicts were also ordered to pay over Rs2 million each in compensation to the legal heirs of the victim boys.

The court directed that the accused were produced in court from custody and remanded back to jail with the conviction warrants, with directions to serve in jail in accordance with the law.

Regarding the absconding co-accused, the court ruled that the case against absconder Raju Odh be kept on the dormant file until his arrest.

According to the prosecution, complainant Imtiaz Ahmed, the father of one of the missing boys, informed the police that his 10-year-old son Muhammad Hassan went outside to play with his friend but did not return home. During a search for his son, he learnt that his son’s friend Muhammad Shahbaz, also 10 years old, was missing as well. Both fathers then reported the disappearance of their boys to the police.

The next day, a person informed Imtiaz Ahmed that he had received a phone call from someone claiming that the boys were in their custody and demanding Rs50,000 ransom.

Subsequently, complainant Mubarak Ali, the father of Shahbaz, was informed that his son’s body had been found near Khadim Hussain Solangi Goth, Scheme 33. Upon arriving at the scene, he discovered that his son had suffered a severe head injury.

The father of the another boy also received information about the body of his son lying somewhere.

Later, the police arrested Waseem Khan, and based on his information, other co-accused persons were apprehended and brought before the court.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2024