HYDERABAD, March 14: An Anti-Terrorism Court here on Friday ordered transfer of a sedition case to the Thatta sessions court, observing that the case did not fall in the jurisdiction of Anti-Terrorism Act.

ATC judge Syed Ali Ashraf Shah issued the order on an application by counsel Rasool Bux Palijo, challenging the detention of three Awami Tehrik activists - Ghanwar Zaur, Ashraf Palijo and Rasool Bux Chohan - under section 23 of the ATA.

The accused were booked by the Daro police on Dec 30, 2003, after they staged a rally against the construction of greater Thal canal and the Kalabagh dam project.

The counsel said the terrorism charges were to be proved by the prosecution in the wake of recent amendment in the section six of the ATA. Mr Palijo argued that the apex court had also observed that mere burning of an effigy and chanting slogans were not terrorism. However, the bail application of the accused was rejected by the court.

BODY RECOVERED: The charred body of a criminally assaulted nine-year-old girl was found stuffed in a bag from a heap of garbage in Makrani Para here late on Friday night.

The Phulelli SHO told this correspondent the girl went missing from Makrani Para on Friday evening which prompted her family to mount a search in the area. He said the body of the girl was recovered from a garbage heap in the locality and addedan autopsy conducted at the Civil Hospital Hyderabad confirmed that she had been subjected to criminal assault.

The SHO said as the victim's family had strong suspicions someone from the area was involved, therefore, accused Maula Bakhsh, son of Hidayatullah, who sold confectionary goods, was arrested as the girl had gone missing after going to his house to buy some sweets.

He expressed the opinion after assaulting the girl, the accused strangled her and burnt the body and, later, stuffed it in a bag and threw it in a heap of garbage.