Two cops sentenced to five years in prison for misappropriating Malkhana case property

An anti-corruption court handed down on Friday five-year imprisonment each to two policemen in a seven-year-old case pertaining to misappropriating firearms deposited as a case property in the Malkhana of Malir's district courts.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abdullah and Constable Abid Hussain were found guilty of misappropriating properties of as many as 41 criminal cases during their posting at the Malkhana in 2016.

Judge Muhammad Ahsan Khan Durrani announced his order reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from the defence and prosecution sides. He awarded four-year imprisonment each to the two accused for their offence punishable under the Section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Both the convicts were further handed down one-year imprisonment for the offence punishable under the Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act II of 1947. The judge also imposed a collective fine of Rs80,000 on them. On default, they would have to undergo an additional five-month imprisonment.

The convicts, who turned up on bail, were subsequently taken into custody and remanded to the central prison to serve out their sentences.

State prosecutor Sharfuddin Kanhar stated that ASI Abdullah, then in-charge of the Malir district courts' Malkhana, and constable Abid misappropriated firearms, including pistols and Kalashanikov rifles, kept as properties of 41 criminal cases. He argued that the prosecution had placed sufficient evidence on record to corroborate its charges against the accused, pleading with the judge to punish them according to the law.

An FIR was lodged under the sections 161 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect to an official act), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC and the relevant section of the Prevention of Corruption Act.