KARACHI, March 17: A sessions court on Thursday issued non-bailable warrants against four police officials for not appearing in court to testify in a doctor's murder case.The victim, Dr Hameedullah, was kidnapped and killed in September 2007 within the remit of Shah Latif Town police station. Two persons Mohammad Ahmed and Kashif have been charged with kidnapping and killing the doctor.

The court over the past several months had repeatedly issued notices to the police officials directing them to appear in the court and record their statements. However, they did not turn up. It had also issued bailable warrants against them.

On Thursday, additional district and sessions judge (Malir) Shamim Sadozai issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of DSP Raja Amjad and inspectors Sher Mohammad, Malik Nawaz and Tasawar Amir and directed the police highups to arrest and produce them in the court till March 28. The court also ordered stopping disbursement of their salaries.

Two of the police officers are the prosecution witnesses whereas the other two are the former and present investigation officers of the case.

According to the prosecution, the accused had kidnapped the doctor from the National Highway on Sept 20, 2007 and a couple of days later his body was recovered by the police. Mohammad Ahmed and Kashif were arrested on Oct 16, 2007 for their alleged involvement in the crime and were later remanded in jail custody.

The investigation officer of the case has so far failed to produce any private witness in the court.

A case (FIR No.323/2007) was registered under Sections 302 (punishment for qatl-i-amd) and 365 (kidnapping with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim's wife at the Shah Latif Town police station.

Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate on Thursday issued warrants for the arrest of eight policemen for failing to appear in the court to testify in two separate cases.

Four persons were booked by the Kharadar police under sections 457 (lurking house-trespass by night in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 380 (theft in dwelling-house, etc.), 511(punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or a shorter term) and 34 (common intention) of PPC on a compliant lodged by Laiq Khan in Feb 2010.

In the other case, Asif Khan has been charged with injuring complainant Mohammad Saeed by rash driving within the remit of the Kalri police station in May 2009.

Sub-inspectors Mohammad Sohail and Manzoor Elahi, assistant sub-inspectors Ishtiaq Ahmed, Sher Mohammad, Shah Mohammad and Raja Afraz and constables Noor Ahmed and Barkat Ali are the prosecution witnesses in the case.

During the pervious hearings, the court had summoned the witnesses and also issued their bailable warrants with direction to record their evidence. But they failed to appear in the court.

When the cases came up for hearing before judicial magistrate (south) Hatam Aziz Solangi on Thursday, prosecutor Shamim Ahmed informed the court about the absence of witnesses and requested to issue non-bailable warrants against them.

The court issued non-bailable warrant and ordered their arrest and production in the court till March 28.