KARACHI, March 28: A single bench of the High Court of Sindh comprising Justice Azizullah Memon on Wednesday commuted the sentence from seven to five years, awarded to a cellphone snatcher, on an appeal against the conviction by a trial court.

Appellant Saleem was convicted by District and Sessions Judge (South) Agha Rafique on September 13, 2005 and awarded to suffer rigorous imprisonment for seven years and pay a Rs100,000 fine.

He was arrested during a robbery attempt in a passenger bus in the Preedy police jurisdiction in January 2004.

After hearing the arguments, the bench commuted the imprisonment from seven to five years.

The same bench freed a convict, Yasir, on his appeal challenging the conviction by a trial court awarding him RI for seven years on March 27, 2006.

The appellant was arrested on November 11, 2002 during a cellphone snatching attempt in a case lodged at the Chakiwara police station. The bench directed to set free the appellant if not required in any other case.—APP