KARACHI, Oct 2: The defence counsel in a Rs6 million ransom case, involving sons of three senior government officials, moved an application in an anti-terrorism court for the shifting of the case to the sessions court.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 fixed Oct 7 for hearing the arguments on the application from the defence and prosecution attorneys.
The gang of kidnappers, comprising the sons of a senior superintendent of police, a senior preventive officer of Customs and a deputy controller of the Karachi Building Control Authority, was busted last month.
Victim Ahmed Naeem, son of a Mercedeze vehicle dealer, was kidnapped on June 11 and the kidnappers released him after the payment of ransom in Manchester.
Mujeebur Rehman Bhutto and Ghulam Murtaza, both sons of customs SPO Rano Khan Bhutto; and their accomplice Saeed Naqi were arrested in Manchester immediately after the delivery of the ransom and the subsequent release of the victim.
A close liaison between Manchester and Karachi police authorities on investigation in the case led to the immediate arrest of Fida Hussain Khoso, son of SSP Nadir Khoso, Junaid Ansari, son of KBCA deputy controller Abdul Rehman Ansari, their accomplices Qurban Ali Khoso and Abdur Rasheed.
Shahzad Ali, Atique Bajwa, Khalid Aziz, Himmat Ali Khoso, Niaz Khoso and Yasir Khoso are still absconding in the case.
A special team of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and Anti-violence Crime Cell (AVCC) had started the investigation after the victim's father, Mohammed Ahmed of Shahnawaz Motors, reported the matter to the authorities.
The investigators intercepted ransom calls originating from Manchester. The kidnappers called the victim's family and initially demanded Rs50 million for his release. However, after a series of negotiations on phone from Manchester, the kidnappers agreed to the ransom of 56,000 pounds sterling (Rs6.1 million).
While recoding his confessional statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before a judicial magistrate, accused Qurban Khoso stated that he had abetted the kidnappers out of life threats.
MURDER CASE: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 put off the hearing of a murder case against a worker of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi after recording the statement of the accused.
The court fixed Oct 4 for hearing the final arguments by the special public prosecutor and defence counsel.
Kamran alias Asif alias Uncle alias Mehmood, who carried Rs3 million reward on his arrest, was charged with killing a passerby woman and attempting to kill policemen during a shootout with police party on May 19, this year in Buffer Zone's sector 15-A.
Accused Kamran along with an absconding accomplice, Junaid, allegedly opened fire on the police party to avoid their arrest. The two accused ran away in different directions and Kamran, who took position behind a pile of cement blocks, allegedly fired upon the chasing party and killed Server Bibi, a domestic servant, in the shootout.
However, Kamran was also hit by two bullets in his lower torso and was allegedly arrested with an unlicensed AK-4 assault rifle (Kalashnikov) and eight handgrenades. His accomplice managed his escape.
Later, the accused led the police to the recovery of five RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades), five initiators, eight handgrenades, 200 live rounds of Kalashnikov, four phone bombs, a video cassette bomb, 25 electronic circuits meant for explosive devices and a box containing anti-US material and bomb making techniques from his hideout.
The seizure from the hideout also included over 150 books on different topics relating to military and infantry support weapons; computer and electrical technologies; besides a number of books containing sectarian and anti-Jews material.
The accused admitted that he was wounded and arrested by the police. However, he denied to have been possessing any arms and ammunition or any other material.
KIDNAPPING CASE: An anti-terrorism court, headed by Judge Arshad Noor Khan, adjourned the hearing of trial against two accused who were facing charges of kidnapping and killing a boy, after recording statement of witnesses, adds PPI.
Athar Mehmood and Khurrum Mushtaq are charged with killing Raghib Jaffery after kidnapping along with absconding co-accused Asif, Sheraz and Ms Shabana.
SI Adnan Khan, who arrested the accused from Gulistan-i- Jauhar, and Judicial Magistrate East Sohail Akhtar Mangi, who conducted the identification parade for accused, recorded their statements on Saturday.
The court after deposition of witnesses fixed Oct 4 for the next hearing.