KARACHI, Sept 27: An anti-terrorism court sentenced on Monday a man to life for killing a constable in the compound of Saudabad police station in January last.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5, who had earlier convicted two other accused in the same case, also imposed a fine of Rs200,000 on Syed Amir Hussain alias Fauji, who was arrested on Nov 8, 2003.

The accused was found guilty of having killed Mehboob Ali and injured two other cops on Jan 13, 2003, in the compound of the police station. According to prosecution, the police received an information about the presence of some suspects in the vicinity. A police party reached the Naeem Hospital where they spotted five accused, occupying a stolen car (AAB-588).

The police intercepted them and conducted body search of three of the accused. However, the raiding party could not conduct the search of the remaining two accused due to mob and they brought the accused and their car to the police station.

The accused got down of the car and one of them hurled a fire cracker. They snatched a sub-machine gun from a constable and opened fire as smoke and dust engulfed the scene after the explosion.

They fled the scene after killing PC Mehboob instantly and injuring two others. Later on April 3, 2003, the Orangi Town police arrested two - Kashif and Zahir. They were tried by the ATC-5 and were sentenced to death. However, the Sindh High Court commuted the capital punishment to life term on an appeal by the convicts.

Three accused, including Syed Amir Hussain, however, remained untraceable and were declared absconders. Afterwards, the police arrested Syed Amir Hussain on Nov 8, 2003, and submitted charge-sheet against him.

The judge awarded life term and fine of Rs200,000 to him for the murder of the constable under Section 302-B of the Pakistan Penal Code. The convict would have to undergo an additional one- year term in case of default on the payment.

For the offence of indulging in a shootout with the police to avoid arrest (encounter) under Section 353 of the PPC, the accused was handed down a 10-year term of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000. He will have to suffer an additional one-year term in lieu of payment. Special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum represented the state.

MURDER CASE: Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 put off the hearing of a kidnapping-cum-murder case after recording the statements of two prosecution witnesses. The judge fixed Tuesday for the next hearing after the statements of Noorul Islam, an estate agent who had rented out a house to one of the absconding accused. Head constable Peter John Khokhar testified the arrest of two accused, Khurrum Mushtaq and Ather Mehmood.

Victim Raghib Hussain was kidnapped around 11:30am on April 1 this year and he was found unconscious near Singapore Towers in Sharea Faisal police area in the evening. According to the prosecution, the victim was first taken to the Jinnah Hospital and then was shifted to the Liaquat National Hospital. On April 2, he told his mother that he was kidnapped by his friend, Sheeraz, who posed him as a girl on the internet.

The victim told the family that on March 31 the impostor asked him into going on a date. He stated that he reached the Rado Centre in Gulistan-i-Jauhar in his Suzuki FX car. He said that Sheeraz along with a girl got into his car and they kidnapped him at gunpoint.

The couple allegedly took him to a bungalow in Gulistan-i- Jauhar where accused Khurrum, Asif, and Ather were already present. Accused Asif allegedly injected a syringe in his chest as the other accused caught hold of him. After a little while Asif allegedly injected another syringe in his chest and he fell unconscious.

According to prosecution, the kidnappers phoned victim's mother and demanded Rs1 million for the release of her son. Later, kidnappers again phoned the woman and told her that her son was lying near Singapore Tower.

The victim died at the hospital on April 16 and his mother informed the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police about the incident. Later on July 26, SI Adnan arrested accused Khurrum and Ather. Three accused are still absconding and the court issued non-bailable warrants for their arrest.

The estate agent submitted before the court that the landlord of the bungalow was Manzoor Ahmed and he had given its possession to accused Sheeraz on March 27. He also placed on record the certified copy of the tenancy agreement between the landlord and accused Sheeraz.

Head constable Peter John Khokhar stated that the two accused were arrested in his presence on July 26 near Empire Centre at Jauhar More in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. The two prosecution witnesses were also cross-examined by defence counsel Adnan Ahmed and S. M. Alam. Earlier, special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa had examined the victims' parents as prosecution witnesses.

BAIL REJECTED: Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 rejected the bail application of an accused in a kidnapping for ransom case. Accused Nadeem alias Katta was arrested on June 6. He was an absconding accused in the kidnapping of a 19-year-old boy for ransom on Sept 26, 2003, within the limits of Sir Syed Town police station.

Earlier, the same court had sentenced two other accused, Khalid Abbas and Mohammad Ali, in the same case. The accused kidnapped Adnan along with his car and demanded Rs1 million for his release. The kidnappers used their victim's cellular phone for negotiations with his family.

The family told the kidnappers that they did not have that much amount of money and had only Rs30,000 at their house. The kidnappers asked them to bring Rs30,000 at a desolate place near Nagin Chowrangi.

The family reported the matter to the police and took the money to the kidnappers accordingly. As the accused were about to receive the money, the plain-clothes policemen tried to arrest them. However, only one of them, Khalid Abbas, could be arrested and accused Mohammed Ali fled the scene.

Four other accused, who were holding the victim hostage in his car near the place of payment, also fled leaving behind the victim. They were Nadeem alias Nadeem Katta, Kaleem, Zeeshan and Nafees. Later the police arrested accused Mohammed Ali on a lead given by accused Khalid Abbas. They both were tried and convicted.