KARACHI: An antiterrorism court acquitted on Saturday two accused, including an influential former policeman, in an extortion case.

Judge Farman Ali Kanasro of the ATC-IX exonerated Mohammad Waseem aka Beater, a sub-inspector who had reportedly been dismissed from service, and Hamid, said to be a police constable, for want of evidence against them.

Both accused were charged in an extortion case registered at the Napier police station in early 2013.

The prosecution examined five policemen as witnesses and did not produce any victim or private witness in court.

The Federal Investigation Agency had arrested Waseem ‘Beater’ on Sept 4 last year at Karachi airport and later he was sent to prison on judicial remand.

According to the prosecution, the case was registered on a complaint of a police inspector who received complaints from area people agai­nst the accused that he was collecting protection money.

Shaukat Hayat, counsel for accused Waseem, told Dawn his client had already been acquitted in three previous cases pertaining to running gam­bling dens and an enco­unter with police and this was the last case against him.

The name of Waseem ‘Beater’ had emerged before the Supreme Court during its Karachi law and order suo motu proceeding in March 2013 when two senior police officers informed the apex court that he ran a gambling den in a police station in Hyderabad and was involved in other criminal activities.

The SC was also told that he allegedly patronised gambling dens, illicit drugs, extortion and all kinds of smuggling and regularly provided share to top officers of Sindh police.

Published in Dawn January 25th , 2015

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