KARACHI, April 21: An anti-terrorism court on Friday sentenced an accused to death on two counts in the kidnapping and murder case of an 18-year-old boy. Mehboob Ali, a cloth merchant, was kidnapped for ransom allegedly by his relatives, who later slaughtered him even after receiving money for his release from his family.

The Soldier Bazaar police had arrested an accused, Aurangzeb, on September 29, 2005 near the Slaughter House Road in Baghdadi on a tip-off while Uzma, Jahanzeb and Mohammed Arif were declared absconders, who are still untraceable.

Judge Saghir Hussain Zaidi of the ATC-3 sentenced Aurangzeb to death for kidnapping the victim for ransom under Section 365-A of the Pakistan Penal Code. The judge also ordered confiscation of the convict’s property worth Rs100,000.

The prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa, examined 15 prosecution witnesses in all.

The judge also condemned the accused to death for the murder of the victim under Section 302 of the PPC, and ordered the convict to pay Rs100,000 as compensation to the victim’s legal heirs.

The victim, Mehboob Ali, was running a cloth shop with his paternal uncle in Lea Market. On August 23, 2005, his second cousin, Uzma, called him on his mobile at around 6pm when he was sitting in a near-by shop of his friend, Asif. The cousin asked him to come to her house in Garden East.

Jahanzeb – husband of Uzma – his elder brother Aurangzeb, and one of their relatives, Mohammed Arif, made Mehboob hostage when he reached Uzma’s house. The kidnappers contacted the victim’s family through his cellular phone and demanded Rs4 million for his release.

However, later the kidnappers agreed to accept a ransom of Rs500,000 after a series of negotiations with the victim’s family. On August 25, the kidnappers phoned the victim’s paternal uncle, Asghar Ali, at around 4.30am and asked him to bring the money at a seclud-ed place near the Lyari Expressway.

Asghar Ali along with the victim’s elder brother, Mohammed Akram, took Rs475,000 with them and accordingly went to the appointed place where the kidnappers and the victim came in a car.

Asghar and Akram, who recognised the kidnappers, told them they did not need to kidnap Mehboob if they wanted money.

The kidnappers, however, took the money and took away the victim along with them telling them that they would release Mehboob a little distance ahead.

While the victim’s uncle and brother were still waiting for Mehboob at the desolate place, the kidnapper again called Asghar and told him that they would soon find the body of Mehboob as they had given Rs25,000 less. Asghar and Akram, after that, left the place for home in distress.

Meanwhile, the accused allegedly took Mehboob to an under-construction bungalow in Garden East where they slaughtered the trussed-up victim. Sensing some suspicious activity, a resident of the area called the police on ‘15’.

The Soldier Bazaar police reached the spot at around 7.15am and shifted the body to hospital where the victim remained unidentified. A murder case was also registered against unknown culprits.

The family came to know about the killing of the young man after they saw the news and picture of the body in an evening newspaper.

Later, they told the police of the kidnapping of Mehboob by their relatives.