KARACHI, Jan 14: A sessions court sentenced a man to life imprisonment in a murder case when he entered a guilty plea on Friday.

Sarfaraz pleaded guilty to killing the owner of a money-exchange company during a robbery attempt in November 2007 in a Gulshan-i-Iqbal area.

The additional district and sessions judge (east), Abdullah Channa, awarded a total of 40-year imprisonment, including life term (25 years) under Section 302 (premeditated murder), five years each under Sections 324 (attempted murder) and 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), four-year sentence under Section 393 (attempted robbery) and one year under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

However, the judge ruled that all the sentences would run concurrently.

The court also imposed a total fine of Rs95,000 and in case of non-payment the convict would undergo an additional 20-month imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, Sarfaraz and Zeeshan broke into the office of a money exchange company located in block 6 of Gulshan-i-Iqbal to commit robbery, but they gunned down the owner of the firm, Humayun Shahzad, when he put up resistance.

The accused were trying to flee from the crime scene when a police patrol party saw them and an encounter ensued in which Sarfaraz got wounded and police apprehended him while the co-accused managed to flee, it added. Later, he was also arrested.

A case (FIR No.591/2007) was registered against the suspects on the complaint of the deceased’s son at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station.

The prosecution examined two witnesses and the case was fixed for the evidence of further witnesses for Jan 14.

When the case came up for hearing before the trial court on Friday, both the accused were brought from prison and produced in the court.

Sarfaraz admitted to his guilt before the court while the trial against the co-accused would continue.

The court extended the benefit of Section 382-B (period of detention to be considered while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of the criminal procedure code to the convict and sent him back to prison along with a conviction warrant to serve out the remainder of his sentence.Bail granted in kidnap case

An anti-terrorism court on Friday granted bail to a suspect in a kidnapping for ransom case.

Ali Hasan Brohi along with his accomplices is facing trial for allegedly kidnapping Azhar Shah within the remit of the Gulshan-i-Maymar police station and demanding a ransom for his safe release.

The suspect through his counsel filed a bail application and after hearing both sides the judge of ATC-III, Anand Ram Hotwani, granted bail to the applicant against the surety bond of Rs1 million.

A case (31/2010) was registered under Sections 365-A (kidnapping for extorting money), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, on the complaint of the victim’s father.