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KARACHI, Dec 14: An eye-witness in a kidnapping for ransom case against six accused, including sons of three senior government officials, identified three accused who allegedly kidnapped the victim.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 put off hearing till Wednesday after statements of Mohammed Iqbal, driver of the victim, and two police officials, who were also cross-examined by defence attorneys.
The driver stated that he was driving victim Ahmed Naeem to his Gizri home when three accused, Atique Bajwa, Abdur Rasheed and Fida Khoso intercepted him. He said accused Fida Hussain was driving the car, while Abdur Rasheed and Atique Bajwa held him and the victim at gunpoint.
He said the accused snatched the keys of the car before they took away the victim in their car. The other two prosecution witnesses were sub-inspector Hameed ahmed and ASI Tahir Naseer.
The gang of kidnappers, comprising sons of a senior superintendent of police, a senior preventive officer of Customs and a deputy controller of the Karachi Building Control Authority, was busted in mid-September.
The accused - Fida Hussain Khoso, son of SSP Nadir Khoso, Junaid Ansari, son of KBCA official Abdul Rehman Ansari, Khalid Aziz, Qurban Ali Khoso, Abdur Rasheed, Atique Bajwa and Shahzad Ahmed - were charged with the kidnapping of Ahmed Naeem, who was released after payment of ransom in Manchester.
Five gang members - Mujeebur Rehman Bhutto, Khalid Aziz, Himmat Ali Khoso, Niaz Khoso and Yasir Khoso have been declared absconders. Suspects Mujeeb Khan Bhutto and Ghulam Murtaza Khan Bhutto, both sons of SPO Rano Khan Bhutto, and their alleged accomplice Saeed Naqi were arrested in Manchester immediately after the delivery of the ransom and the subsequent release of the victim, Ahmed Naeem, son of a Mercedes vehicle dealer, in Karachi.
A special team of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and Anti-violence Crime Cell (AVCC) started the investigation after the victim's father, Mohammed Ahmed of Shahnawaz Motors, reported the matter to the authorities.
The investigators intercepted ransom calls originating from Manchester. The kidnappers called the victim's family and initially demanded Rs50 million for his release. However, after a series of negotiations on phone from Manchester, the kidnapper agreed to the ransom of 56,000 pounds sterling (Rs6.1 million).
PS ATTACK CASE: Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 put off the hearing of the Orangi Town police station attack case after special public prosecutor examined the last two prosecution witnesses.
Two alleged workers of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba, Zeeshan and Zafar Ikram, have been charged with attempting to blow up the Orangi Town police station in a suicidal attack.
According to prosecution accused Zeeshan, a college student, was arrested red-handed after being injured in an explosion caused by a home made grednade outside the police station on June 13.
It was alleged that Zeeshan, carrying the grenade, was approaching towards the police station with intention of an attack when the grenade went off which resulted into injuries to him. According to police, as he was about to enter the station, the police attempted to frisk him on which he fled and the bomb went off and he suffered injuries.
Later, the police arrested co-accused Zafar Ikram on the lead of the injured accused. The police showed two activists of the banned organization, Abid Iqbal and Rahimullah, as absconders. The PWs -- Dr Imran Serwar and investigation officer Sikander Ali - were also cross-examined by defence counsel.
