ATC acquits man in DSP Nawaz Ranjha murder case

One more suspect, Danish, was acquitted by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday in the murder case of DSP Nawaz Ranjha for lack of evidence.

The ATC-XII judge approved the application filed by Danish’s lawyer stating that his client was innocent and was suffering because of the trial in which the prosecution had no evidence for his involvement.

Ranjha, then posted at the Preedy police station, was shot dead along with his driver, Jahangir Hussain, as armed men on motorcycles ambushed his vehicle with bullets near the Radio Pakistan building on MA Jinnah Road in April, 2010.

The ATC has already convicted two people, Ishtiaq, alias Policewala, and Abu Irfan, for the murder and exonerated four, Syed Shakir Shah, Zakir Hussain, Khuwaja Faisal and Shafiqur Rehman, earlier this year. Ishtiaq was handed down life imprisonment and Irfan was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

All the suspects charged with the murder were said to be associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the prosecution maintained that the murder was politically motivated. The other four accused were relieved of the charges because there was no concrete evidence against them and the court extended them the benefit of the doubt. The case against the absconding suspects is still kept on dormant.

The FIR of the incident was registered under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Preedy police station.