KARACHI, Oct 12: Four persons, including a former deputy superintendent of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, were sentenced on Saturday to death for two times in a kidnapping for ransom case by an anti-terrorism court.

Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 also imposed a fine of Rs1 million each on Dr Syed Muhammad Khalid Moeen, the hospital DS belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Muhammed Salim Khan Tanoli, a former protocol officer of the Sindh government, Salim Uddin, a former police constable, and Sami Ullah Khan for kidnapping a 63-year-old businessman and his 30-year-old son for ransom on January 31, 2000.

The victims — Shahid Ali Siddiqui and his son Musib Ali Siddiqui — were on their way after having dinner at the house of Mr Siddiqui’s daughter in North Nazimabad, when they were kidnapped.

The hostages were released after their family paid a ransom of Rs5.5 million. The payment was made through two checks of Rs4 million and 1.5 million respectively.

Judge Bhatti sentenced the four accused to capital punishment for kidnapping Mr Siddiqui and his son under section 365-A of the Pakistan Penal Code. The judge also ordered that the defaulter on the payment of Rs1 million fine would have to under go a three-year term of rigorous imprisonment.

They were awarded another death penalty for creating terror under section 6 (2) (e) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The judge also ordered the four kidnappers to pay Rs1 million each to the victims as compensation for causing mental torture to them, under section 544 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The defaulter on the payment will have to suffer a one-year term of rigorous imprisonment.

Besides, three of the kidnappers were also sentenced to a seven-year term for possessing illegal weapons. A fine of Rs10,000 each was also imposed on the convicts who would have to undergo an additional one-year term in case of default on the payment.

The prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum, examined in all 15 witnesses, including the two victims, against the four accused.

Dr Khalid Moeen, Salim Tanoli and Salim Uddin had earlier been convicted on July 25, this year by the ATC-2, then headed by Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon, in another kidnapping for ransom case. They were sentenced to life in jail.