KARACHI, Dec 23: A female suspect on Friday recorded her confessional statement before a judicial magistrate in a case pertaining to the kidnapping of an industrialist for ransom.

The woman suspect, Sabiha, is the widow of Qari Shahid, who was one of the three suspected kidnappers killed in a police encounter on Dec 5 during a raid for the recovery of the captive industrialist at a house in Allahwala Town near Korangi.

Qari Shahid was said to be associated with the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The investigation officer of the case had moved an application before the court of a judicial magistrate stating that the suspect was willing to confess and prayed to the court to record her statement.

The court allowed the plea and the IO brought the suspect before the magistrate on Friday.

Court sources said that after completing all legal formalities, Judicial Magistrate (east) Malik Mohammad Akhtar recorded the confessional statement of the suspect under Section 164 (power to record statements and confessions) of the criminal procedure code.

She admitted that she had assisted her slain husband and their accomplices in the kidnapping of industrialist Riaz Chinoy for ransom, the sources added.

After the completion of the statement, the court sent the woman to prison on 14-day judicial remand and directed the investigation officer to submit a charge-sheet in court.

The police claimed to have arrested the woman on Dec 10 and later she was remanded in police custody by the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts in Karachi.

According to the prosecution, the victim was abducted on Oct 8, 2011 in the Quaidabad area and the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs600 million for his safe release.

The anti-violent crime cell claimed to have recovered the victim on Dec 5 in Korangi after a shoot-out which left three suspected kidnappers dead.

A case (FIR 468/11) was registered under Sections 365-A (kidnapping for ransom) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Quaidabad police station.

The police also claimed that the female suspect had confessed to her involvement in facilitating the terrorists who had attacked the PNS Mehran base. However, her arrest in that case has not yet been effected.