KARACHI: An accountability court on Thursday sentenced a private person to 10-year imprisonment for illegally getting state land worth Rs430 million registered in the name of a dead person, and selling it to two parties.

Muhammad Ilyas was found guilty of getting documents carrying fictitious entries in respect of 21.20 acres of land in Karachi in connivance with two revenue officials and selling it to two persons, Muhammad Arif Rogatia and Khursheed Alam.

On Thursday, Accountability Court-III Judge Dr Sher Bano Karim pronounced her verdict, which was reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

She also slapped a fine of Rs430 million on the convict. On default, he would have to undergo an additional two-year imprisonment.

The judge sent the accused, who was produced in custody, to the prison to serve out the sentence awarded to him.

Earlier, special public prosecutor Zahid Hussain Baladi submitted in court that Muhammad Ilyas got prepared a fake general power attorney on Sept 1, 2004 in the name of Lal Bai, who had already died on May 18, 2000, by using her expired National Identity card in respect of the government land situated in Deh Safooran, Tapo Songal, Karachi.

He added that the accused had got prepared a fake power of attorney in his own name and then fraudulently obtained a bogus NOC for the sale of the land in connivance with Khadim Hussain Kutrio, the then mukhtiarkar of Malir. Subsequently, through a fake power of attorney the accused also sold the government land to Khursheed Khan and Muhammad Arif Rogatia, he added.

The then Malir mukhtiarkar, Mushtaq Ali Solangi, had verified the bogus NOC and fake entries in the revenue record. However, the then executive district officer (revenue), Karachi, took notice of the illegal transactions and cancelled the land transferred in the names of Khan and Rogatia, the prosecutor submitted.

He said that a reference was filed and trial initiated against the then mukhtiarkars (Kutrio and Solangi), who were both convicted in the present case but accused Ilyas had been absconding at that time.

He argued that evidence fully established that accused Ilyas was the beneficiary of the entire fraudulent activity.

The prosecutor informed the court that a separate case was also filed against the private persons who had purchased the land.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2021