KARACHI, Nov 19: A division bench of the Sindh High Court asked on Tuesday Additional Advocate General Sindh Sarwar Khan to call a report on the number of cases pending against accused Janoo Arain, allegedly involved in the Pucca Qila (Hyderabad) carnage case.

The bench comprised Chief Justice Sayed Saeed Ashhad and Justice Ghulam Rabbani.

Earlier, the superintendent of the Central Prison Karachi appeared in the court and submitted his report. It was maintained that five cases were still pending against the accused/petitioner: four before courts in Dadu district and one before a court at Karachi.

The counsel for the petitioner disputed the report at which the court, while putting off further hearing, asked the AAG to call a report about the number of cases pending against the petitioner/accused.

Another bench of the SHC, consisting of Justice Wahid Bux Brohi and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery, dismissed two appeals while modifying sentences awarded to convicts on charges of murder and dacoity.

The court commuted life terms into seven years’ rigorous imprisonment awarded to convicts/appellants Abdul Razzak and Kelash, who were awarded life sentence by an anti-terrorism court.

According to the prosecution, the accused, accompanied by absconders Ghulam Rasool and Shahnawaz, committed a dacoity at Jamal Atta Chakki in Rangiwara, Lyari, on 7-2-2000. They fired on an employee, Manzoor Husain, who died later in a hospital.

The accused were sent up for trial and were convicted by the ATC IV which sentenced them to life term with a fine of Rs50,000 each. They were also sentenced to seven years’ RI for keeping illegal weapons.

The court today, after hearing the appeals, dismissed the appeals while modifying the life terms to seven years’ RI. They were also given the benefit of section 382 B of CrPC.

The court also reduced the fine to Rs25,000. — APP