ATC okays trial of SSP, DSP in kidnapping for ransom, dacoity case

With the Orangi Town house robbery case against former SSP South Imran Qureshi and DSP Umair Tariq Bajari far from over, an anti-terrorism court has given the go-ahead to their trial in another case pertaining to alleged kidnapping for ransom and dacoity.

Muhammad Mansoor Shaikh, a retired army officer, filed a direct complaint, accusing against SSP Qureshi, DSP-UT Umair Tariq, Boat Basin SHO Riaz Niazi, then Defence SHO Shoukat, ASI Ali Hasan of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station, Shireen Jinnah Chowki in-charge Muslim Shah, Constables Khurram and Rabnawaz, as well as over a dozen unknown persons/ officials, for their alleged involvement in kidnapping him, his son-in-law and servant and looting cash, mobile phones and other valuables from his house in October last year.

The ATC-XV judge took cognisance of alleged offences punishable under Section 365-A (kidnapping or abducting for extorting property, valuable security, etc.), 395 (dacoity), and 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

He ordered issuance of bailable warrants against the accused in the sum of Rs200,000. “The complainant in his statement as well as the statement of his witnesses has been able to make out prima facie case for trial against accused,” ruled the judge.

The complainant claimed that on October 25, 2023, the DSP along with the six proposed accused and 13-14 unknown officials, in five mobile vans, and two Vigos, raided the house of his son-in-law Anas uddin in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. He alleged that they illegally entered his flat and abducted him, threatening his family with dire consquences if they spoke to anyone about the raid.

Shaikh said 40 minutes later, the same police party also raided his house upon instigation and direction of the then SSP-South, adding that they looted cash, mobile phones and other articles from his house before bundling away him and his servant Hassan.

He claimed that the accused brought them to the Boat Basin police station where they tortured, harassed and blackmailed them and later shifted them to an unofficial police picket located in Shireen Jinnah Colony.

The complainant said the cops demanded Rs5 million ransom for their release. He mentioned that his son filed a habeas corpus petition with a session court, but to no avail, adding that it was only after a petition was filed in the Sindh High Court regarding their abduction that they were released from illegal captivity on October 30, and some of the looted belongings were returned to them.

His lawyer, Advocate Khalid Hussain Khoso, contended that there was sufficient evidence to connect the accused persons with the commission of the offence. He said that DSP Umair had also abducted a trader, Shakir Khan, and looted Rs20 million as well as 70-80 golds from his house in Orangi Town. He, therefore, requested the judge to admit the direct complaint and take cognisance of the accusations against the proposed accused.

Last month, a judicial magistrate had declined the investigation officer’s request to dispose of the Orangi Town house robbery case against DSP Umair Tariq and others under ‘C Class’.