Caught at last: Absconder remanded in rape case 17 years after incident

Police have lost investigation files, making the case further difficult.

KARACHI:

An anti-terrorism court sent a man on judicial custody remand in a 17-year-old case pertaining to Zina and kidnapping.

The police file and the court file of the case have, however, gone missing and all efforts to find them have gone in vain, the investigation officer told the court on Tuesday. The ATC-II remanded the suspect, Naeem, son of Aqeel, with directions to the investigation officer to produce the files before the court by June 4.

According to the remand paper and other official documents, Naeem was arrested and a weapon was seized from his possession by the Korangi Industrial Area police a few weeks ago. Subsequently, a case, No.347/14, under Section 23-1(a) was registered against him and the court had sent him to jail on May 10, 2014.

During the course of interrogation, the suspect confessed to his involvement in the older case after which he was formally arrested by the police in jail. When Naeem’s criminal record was checked, the record revealed that Naeem was wanted in the 17-year-old case pertaining to Zina and kidnapping, stated the remand papers. The documents further revealed that Naeem was declared an absconder in the case on January 13, 1998.

An FIR, No.267/1997, under Sections 365-A (kidnapping or abducting for extorting property, valuables) and Section 10 (4) (when zina-bil-jabr liable to tazir is committed by two or more persons in furtherance of common intention) of The Offence of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance, 1979, was registered against him and his three accomplices at Sharifabad police station.

The court officials said that two men were declared absconders in the case, one of whom was Naeem. They added that one of the accused was awarded the death sentence while another was sentenced to jail for 10 years. The FIR revealed that Naeem and his accomplices had kidnapped a girl while she was heading home after attending a tuition class in 1997.

In the absence of the police and court files, it would be difficult for the police and prosecution to prove charges against him. The court ordered, however, the investigation officer to find the records of proceedings and the police file and produce them before the court on the next date of hearing. The court sent the suspect on remand till June 4.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2014.