KARACHI, Oct 7: An additional district and sessions judge, Karachi South, has acquitted a murder case accused.

Malik Ghulam Nabi, who was accused of killing Bahadur Khan at South Park Avenue in Defence Housing Authority on February 16, 1999 was acquitted by Judge Nighat Sultana Zafar.

The prosecution case against the accused was that Mohammed Rafiq, cousin of deceased Bahadur Khan, had lodged an FIR at Defence police station, in which he had claimed that he, with his deceased cousin, had gone to Rahat Milk Corner, as usual, in the evening, after physical exercise in a health club.

It was his case that while they were sitting in the car of Bahadur Khan, waiting for juice to be served, the accused appeared, saying that he would not spare Bahadur Khan. According to Rafiq, the accused fired two shots at them. Rafiq ran away to save his life, but Ghulam Nabi dragged injured Bahadur Khan out of the car and pumped four more shots into his body and ran away. Injured Bahadur Khan was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where he died on February 17, 1999.

Syed Naqi Meerza, counsel for accused Ghulam Nabi, contended that the prosecution produced two eyewitnesses, ie, Rafiq and Malik Sher Ali, in addition the formal official witnesses. His claim was that, according to the record, presence of the said eyewitnesses was not established at the place of incident, so they were planted witnesses and could not be relied upon.

The ADJ acquitted the accused, giving him the benefit of doubt.