Sindh High Court issues noticesto chiefs of police and Rangers

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, the inspector general of police, the director general of the Sindh Rangers and others on petitions against the alleged illegal detention of citizens, including Jeay Sindh Quami Mahaz-Aresar group activist, by personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Petitioners Basiran, Abdul Kalam and Vishal Mari submitted that personnel of law enforcement agencies picked up JSQM activist Pathan Zohrani, Hafiz Mohammad Tahir and Sohaib Khan from Steel Town, Korangi and Surjani Town.

They submitted that police and other law enforcement agencies were not disclosing their whereabouts nor were they presenting details of cases against the detainees to any court of law. They requested the court to direct the law enforcement agencies to produce them before the court and provide details of charges if any against them.

The court, after the preliminary hearing of the petitions, issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, the IGP, the DG Rangers and others, and called their comments.

Appeals dismissed

The Sindh High Court has dismissed appeals of three convicts in a kidnapping for ransom case. Mohammad Sohail, Jamshed and Peer Mohammad were sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court for kidnapping a man for ransom in Ittehad Town. According to the prosecution, the appellants kidnapped Fayaz and demanded Rs200,000 in ransom from his family on July 27, 2013.

Police later arrested the appellants and recovered the abductee from their captivity. The court observed that the prosecution had proved the case against the appellants without any shadow of doubt, and dismissed the appeals against the life imprisonment sentences.

Death row convict

The court also dismissed the appeal of a death row convict in a murder case but commuted his death sentence into life imprisonment.

Shahid Isran had been sentenced to death by the trial court for murdering Musarrat Hussain in the Clifton area. According to the prosecution, the appellant killed Musarrat Hussain on April 20, 2012.

The court observed that prosecution witnesses were trustworthy and their statement could not be ruled out. The court dismissed the appeal of the convict but reduced his death sentence to life imprisonment as the prosecution did not prove the motive of the killing.