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KARACHI, March 27: Justice Azizullah A. Memon of the Sindh High Court acquitted two murder convicts sentenced to life imprisonment.
Ms Weero alias Bashiran and Imroz Masih alias Gullu were accused of killing Sardar Masih, Weero’s husband at his Korangi residence in April 2002. They were tried by an additional sessions judge, who convicted them in January 2006. They challenged their conviction in the high court.
The appellants’ counsel, Shahadat Awan, argued that the trial court failed to examine the complainant and the prosecution failed to produce the FIR. Nazia, daughter of accused Weero and victim Sardar, made conflicting statements. The medico-legal report said death might have been caused by hanging. In the circumstances, the accused should be given the benefit of the doubt.
The judge ordered the release of the appellants if they were not required in any other case.
LAB MAN ACQUITTED: Meanwhile, a division bench consisting of Justices Mohammad Afzal Soomro and Rehmat Husain Jafferi acquitted Abdul Hamid, former incharge of the forensic laboratory, Karachi. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by an anti-narcotics court for possessing 600 grams of heroin.
Hamid’s counsel, A.Q. Halepota and Zubair Qureshi submitted that the samples allegedly recovered from the accused were different from the ones produced in the court. He had already served his sentence but his conviction would ruin his 15-year service with the forensic lab and he would not be entitled to any pensionary benefits or continuity of service. The bench set aside the conviction.
SENTENCE COMMUTED: A division bench of the Sindh High Court comprising Justice Muhammad Afzal Soomro and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery on Tuesday dismissed an appeal against the conviction in a kidnapping-for-ransom case, but converted death sentence to life imprisonment, adds PPI.
Syed Shahzad Ali, Abdul Jabbar and Ahmed Hussain were sentenced to death by an Anti-Terrorism Court on November 13, 2003. The court also ordered confiscation of their property to the extent of Rs100,000.
They were charged with kidnapping Bilal Shahzad from Boating Basin on June 5, 2003 and demanded Rs5 million from their family. Later, they released the victim on June 12, 2003 after receiving Rs450,000 in ransom.
Bilal's brother Faraz Ahmed lodge an FIR in the Defence police station against them and later they were arrested on November 1, 2003.
The court after hearing arguments of the case and perusal of evidence of the case, for reason to be recorded later on, upheld the conviction and dismissed the appeal but commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment.
