KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Wednesday sentenced an accused, who was a member of the infamous ‘White Corolla’ gang involved in robbing passengers arriving at the airport, to a collective sentence of 32 years in prison.

Ali Eidan was found guilty of committing murder, engaging in encounter with police, attempting to murder with an illicit weapon and manslaughter in January 2018.

On Wednesday, the ATC-XVI judge, who conducted the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, pronounced his judgement.

The judge noted that the prosecution had successfully proved the charges against the accused.

The judge also imposed a collective fine of Rs210,000 on the convict. On default, he would undergo an additional collective imprisonment of 21 months.

However, the court issued a perpetual warrant for the arrest of an alleged absconding accomplice of the convict, Arfeen.

According to the prosecution, a gang of criminals used to rob passengers coming from abroad outside the Karachi airport in a white Corolla car.

On Jan 20, 2018 police spotted Ali Eidan and signalled him to stop on Sharea Faisal near the PAF Gate, but the accused opened fire on the police officials.

As the police chased the fleeing suspects, they also fired shots and injured two passengers and a rickshaw driver.

However, the police officials managed to arrest Ali Eidan while his alleged accomplice Arfeen fled, it added.

Their third alleged accomplice Babar was killed in the exchange of gunfire with the police, said the prosecution, adding that Arfeen and Babar were dressed in police uniform.

Two separate cases were registered against them under Sections 203 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 400 (punishment for belonging to gang of dacoits), 171 (wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent), 322 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 23(i)-A of the Sindh Arms Act, 2013 at the Sharea Faisal police station.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2020