KARACHI, Sept 30: An additional district and sessions judge, West, Ms Akhtar A. Chaudhry, sentenced on Monday a murderer to life imprisonment.

Accused Mohib Sayed had killed Syed Ameen on July 28, 1997 in the police limits of Saeedabad.

An additional district and sessions judge, Central, Ahmed Nawaz Shaikh, sentenced five men for robbery.

Accused Abdur Rauf, Umair, Nazeer, Junaid and Khalid were also fined Rs5,000 each. They would have to undergo an additional six months’ rigorous imprisonment if they failed to pay the fine.

The bandits had barged into the house of Syed Faisal Alam in Buffer Zone on September 20, 1997 and got away with a video-cassette player.

ADJOURNED: The Anti-terrorism Court No 2, headed by Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti, put off the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case.

The case against Dr Khalid Moeen, a former deputy superintendent of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, and three others was registered by the North Nazimabad police on the complaint of Shahid Ali Siddiqui.

According to the prosecution, the accused kidnapped the complainant and his young son at gunpoint on January 31, 2000 and released them after receiving Rs5.5 million. The payment was made through two cheques for Rs4 million and Rs1.5 million.

Besides the hospital superintendent, who belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Mohammed Salim Khan Tanoli, a former protocol officer of the Sindh government, Salimuddin, a former police constable, and Samiullah have been charged with kidnapping for ransom.

Judge Bhatti adjourned the hearing of the case to Tuesday as the counsel for one of the accused did not turn up.

The judge ordered the appointment of a pauper advocate on state expense in case the defence counsel again does not appear on the next date.

Dr Khalid Moeen, Salim Tanoli and Salimuddin had earlier been convicted by Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon on July 25 in another kidnapping for ransom case. They were awarded life sentence.