KARACHI, Sept 16: A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the home secretary, the inspector-general of Sindh, the directors-general of the Rangers, Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence, the SHO of the Nazimabad police station and others for Sept 24 on a petition seeking the whereabouts of a ‘missing person’.
Petitioner Zubair Khan submitted through Advocate Maqbool-ur-Rahman that his friend Waheed Ahmed was picked up in front of a mosque in Nazimabad, when he came out after offering the Juma prayer on March 25, by around three men, apparently belonging to some law-enforcement agency and was driven away in a white Corolla.
He added that despite efforts, the whereabouts of the victim, a student of Jamia Abu Bakr, could not be traced.
The Sindh home secretary, the IG, the DGs of ISI, MI and others were made respondents in the petition.
Bail granted
Meanwhile, the civil judge and judicial magistrate, south, Ashraf Hussain Khawaja, on Tuesday granted bail to two suspects in a kidnapping case.
Hassan Ahmed and Khaqan Javed Qazi, through their counsel, had moved a bail application in the court.
According to the prosecution, suspects Hassan Ahmed, Rafique and Khaqan Javed Qazi were arrested by the Gizri police on Sept 5 for allegedly kidnapping Mohammad Shakir of Defence Housing Authority, Phase IV, on Sept 3 for ransom. However, the police intercepted the suspects on the way. They fled leaving behind the victim and the car. Later, the police arrested the suspects.
A car with a government number plate, arms, two uniforms and ID cards of an army major were seized from them.
A case was registered against the suspects under Sections 365 and 171/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Gizri police station. Two other suspects, Umar Hayat and Nasir, are still at large.
Indictment
An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday indicted a man on charges of kidnapping a woman for ransom.
The accused, Mohammad Ikramullah, pleaded not guilty and decided to contest the case.
The prosecution said that Ikramullah had allegedly kidnapped Mahnaz, wife of Umer Naveed, on April 29 in Gizri police limits and sought Rs2 million for her release. The suspect collected the ransom and released her on the same day. Police, acting on a tip-off, raided a house in Gizri and arrested the accused on June 10.
A case was registered under Section 365-A of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act at Gizri police station on the complaint of the victim’s husband. Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon of ATC-II, who is conducting the trial, summoned all the prosecution witnesses directing them to testify on the next hearing and adjourned the proceedings till Sept 20.
Meanwhile, the same court recorded the statement of a prosecution witness in a kidnap and murder case and adjourned the hearing till Sept 18.
The accused, Shahzad, Babar and Shadab, kidnapped Mr Mohsin, an uncle of Shadab, in the Super Market police limits on October 23, 2007, according to the prosecution. They allegedly received Rs1 million from the captive’s family for his release, but killed him. The body was later found and the police arrested the accused in a raid in the Korangi Industrial Area on Feb 2, 2008.
A case was registered under Sections 365-A and 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Super Market police station.
Shaista, the victim’s widow, appeared in court on Tuesday and deposed that her husband left the house on Oct 13, 2007 but did not return. She said her family had some domestic differences with one of the accused, Ms Shadab.
Defence counsel Mushtaq Ahmed will cross-examine her on the next hearing.
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