KARACHI, March 29: The prosecution in a kidnapping for ransom case concluded its evidence before an anti-terrorism court. Judge Ghulam Ali Samito of the ATC-1 fixed April 1 for recording the statement of the accused.

Accused Zafar Iqbal is being tried for kidnapping a nine-year-old boy, Arshad Raza son of Mohammad Raza, on Jan 1, in PIB police limits.

According to prosecution, the accused, along with his two absconding accomplices, kidnapped the boy in front of his house at 2:30pm. Later, he called the victim’s father, an ice dealer, and demanded Rs7 million as ransom.

However, the kidnappers allegedly agreed to receive Rs4 million ransom after a series of negotiations with the victim’s father. It was alleged that on Jan 17 the ice dealer paid Rs300,000 to the kidnappers at an appointed place near Punjab Colony.

While the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee was trying to track down the kidnappers through their phone calls, the police on Jan 20 received a tip-off regarding the presence of kidnappers and the victim at a house in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

The police accordingly raided the house and arrested accused Zafar following a shootout.

The abducted kid was also recovered from there.

SENTENCED: The additional district and session judge, Central, Imdad Hussain Khoso, sentenced on Wednesday a man to three-year term for raping a seven-year-old girl.

The judge also imposed a fine of R10,000 on Khurram Masih, who was found guilty of having raped the daughter of Boota Masih on June 6, 2001 in Gulberg.

The rapist would have to undergo an additional three-month term in case of default on the payment.

Bugti case: Haq Nawaz Baloch, judge-Anti Terrorism Court (ATC-V), Karachi, on Wednesday ordered forfeiture of property owned by two proclaimed offenders accused in the PIDC bomb blast case, adds APP.

Brahamdagh Bugti and Abdul Hameed Bugti were declared proclaimed offenders in the PIDC blast which claimed three lives. More than a dozen citizens were injured and an equal number of vehicles was damaged in the blast.

M R Syed, counsel for two accused in custody Aziz Khan and Mengla Khan, was present when the court put off proceedings till April 11 when prosecution was directed to produce witnesses.

The hearing of another case against former Sindh Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh was also put off till April 11 by ATC-II for Karachi division.

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