ATC indicts MQM-L worker in murder case

Accepts plea to cross-examine witness' statement in Irshad Ranjhani murder case

An anti-terrorism court indicted on Tuesday Muttahidqa Qaumi Movement- London's (MQM-L's) former sector in-charge Raees alias Mama in the murder case of a district municipal corporation (DMC) officer.

Raees, however, denied the accusation levelled against him.

At this, the court issued a notice to the investigation officer, directing him to present witnesses before the court at the next hearing.

According to police, Raees, along with his accomplices, had killed DMC officer Amir Zai on October 24, 2013, on the orders of MQM-L's Hammad Siddiqi.

Irshad Ranjhani murder case

At another hearing, the court accepted the plea seeking the cross-examination of the statement given by an eyewitness, ambulance driver Abid Rasheed, in Irshad Ranjhani murder case.

Rasheed had retracted his initial statement at the last hearing.

The court directed the petitioner's counsel to prepare for cross-examination and issued orders for Rasheed to appear before the court at the next hearing on August 4.

At the previous hearing, Rasheed claimed that Raheem Shah, whom he had earlier identified as the person who shot political activist Ranjhani, did not commit the murder.

He told the court that he had received a call on February 6, 2019, to reach a location in Bhains Colony, where he saw an injured man, Ranjhani, lying on the ground and getting beaten by a crowd.

"I shifted him to the ambulance after the police arrived and drove him to Shah Latif Town police station on police's directives," he related, adding that upon reaching the police station, he was told to take Ranjhani and two police officials, to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. On the way to the hospital, he said, two men intercepted the ambulance and shot Ranjhani.

"However, neither of them was Shah," he clarified. "They were around 27 years to 28 years old and I can identify them by face."

Stating this, Rasheed had insisted he was telling the truth and that was what should be included in the case record.

Baldia fire factory case

Separately, an ATC sought counter arguments from the counsels of respondents in the Baldia Factory fire case at the next hearing.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the prosecutor presented his arguments before the court and submitted evidence against the accused.

The court adjourned the hearing till August 12, seeking counter arguments from the counsels of respondents.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2020.