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KARACHI, Aug 17: The Judicial Magistrate-I, South, Shamsuddin Junejo on Friday reserved his order on the bail application of a rights activist, Mohammad Iqbal Kazmi, in dud cheque cases.
The magistrate fixed Saturday (Aug 18) for the pronouncement of the order after he heard final arguments in the case.
Kazmi was arrested on June 12, 2007 in a raid on his house in Korangi in connection with the FIR No.145/06 registered against him at the Al-Falah police station in 2006.
According to the prosecution, Kazmi had given a cheque for Rs98,000 to a complainant, Abdul Jabbar, and another one for Rs588,000 to the second complainant Hanif Memon both of which were dishonoured.
Mr Kazmi pleading not guilty told the court that the claims were false and that he did
not do any business deal with the complaints.
He said the cases were registered one year back and he was arrested only when he filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against some influential political and government figures for their involvement in the May 12 violence in Karachi. He pointed out that Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain was among these figures.
The accused also pointed out that police had showed him “absconding” since 2006 although he had regularly been appearing before courts for the hearings of his petitions during the period and the police never tried to arrest him.
The Anti-terrorism Court-I headed by Judge Ghulam Ali Samtio on Friday recorded the statement of Dr Abdul Wahab, who claimed he had been kidnapped and kept in illegal custody by Dr Mohammad Ibrar Younus at his house for two days.
In his statement, he said the accused and his wife, Huma, had called him to their residence in Sector 5/E, North Karachi. “As I reached there, they overpowered me and tied me up with chains to a bed,” he said.
He said the couple had demanded Rs2 million for his release.
The charge-sheet states that Ms Merajul Nisa, Dr Abdul Wahab’s wife, had expressed her inability to arrange such a huge amount on which the accused had reduced the sum to Rs40, 000. She was advised by the kidnappers to take the ransom money to Nagan Chowrangi, which she did. However, when the accused couple was returning after receiving the amount, the Anti-Violent Crime Cell intercepted and arrested them.
