KARACHI, Jan 6: An anti-terrorism court on Friday indicted an alleged gangster in a case pertaining to the murder of a policeman.

Qadir alias Dakait, said to be associated with one of the several criminal gangs operating in Lyari, along with his absconding accomplices has been booked and arrested for an attack on the police with rockets and other heavy weapons within the remit of the Baghdadi police station in Dec 2009 that had left an the driver of armoured personnel carrier dead and a number of other policemen wounded.

Judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon of the ATC-III read out the charges against the suspect. However, he pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.

The court summoned all prosecution witnesses with a direction to record their testimonies on Jan 12.

According to the prosecution, the accused along with other accomplices had attacked a police party on Dec 3, 2009 near Shah Latif Bhitai Road in Lyari. A rocket launcher shell hit the police APC, killing its driver, Constable Mohammad Yaseen, and wounding five other policemen, it added.

A case (FIR 363/2009) was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage etc.) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 3/4 of the Explosive Substance Act read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Baghdadi police station.

Sheraz alias Comrade, Umer Kachi, Rashid Rekha, Abdul Jabbar alias Jhengo, Wajid alias Mandra, Shamshad, Shahid alias Bazanjo and 10 to 15 unknown persons were also nominated in the FIR.