KARACHI, March 20: A prosecution witness, who was also a complainant in a fraud case, turned hostile on Tuesday in a case pertaining to alleged financial embezzlement in the Edhi Foundation.

Mohammad Arif, Abdul Rauf and Mohammad Ramzan, the three employees of the charity, have been charged with misappropriating over Rs1.7 million in April 2010.

The complainant, Anwar Kazmi, appeared before the court of a judicial magistrate (south), but during his testimony he did not depose against the accused.

The public prosecutor, Shamim Ahmed, requested the court to declare the complainant hostile since he had deviated from his previous statements and allow him to cross-examine the witness.

Judicial Magistrate Hatim Aziz Solangi allowed the request and during the cross-examination the witness said that on a directive of Abdul Sattar Edhi he had forgiven the accused.

A case (FIR 272/10) was registered against the accused under Sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Kharadar police station.

IO told to file Gwadar DC murder report

The same court directed on Tuesday the police to arrest the suspects nominated in the murder FIR of Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Abdul Rehman Dashti.

The body of the victim was found in his car near the house of his friend, Mir Imam Bux Bizenjo, in Defence Housing Authority on the night of March 5. Later Mr Bizenjo, Rahim Bux and Aman were nominated in the FIR.

The investigation officer requested the court to grant him some time to submit a report under Section 173 of the criminal procedure code since the investigation was not yet complete. The court granted time, but directed him to arrest the suspects and submit the report within three days.