Turned down: Court rejects bail plea of two accused extortionists
They used a SIM card registered in the name of the victim’s brother.
KARACHI:
The Anti-Terrorism Court-III rejected bail applications by two people accused of trying to extort at least a million rupees from a well-off man.
The accused men, Faisal Hussain and Irfan Ahmed, had allegedly demanded Rs1 million from the victim. After negotiations, the amount was first brought down to Rs400,000 and then Rs200,000. It is a common practice in Karachi to negotiate extortion amounts, as well as initial ransom demands in kidnapping cases.
The complainant in the case had meanwhile informed the police of the threats. The phone number used to make the extortion demands was traced and the police were able to locate the suspects and arrested them on August 18 in Gizri. The First Information Report 270/2012 names the two men.
Interestingly enough, the SIM card was registered in the name of the complainant’s brother. The two suspects reportedly worked as employees of the complainant’s brother for a short time, and also worked at a well-known education centre in Defence.
At the bail hearing on Saturday, the prosecution argued that the SIM card used in the crime was seized from Faisal. The men were arrested on the spot and the SIM card jacket as well as the phone used to make the calls were seized from them. The prosecution said that the telephone data confirmed that the men had been involved in the crime.
The defence counsel, on the other hand, argued that his clients were not guilty. The court did not give the men bail and set November 17 as the next hearing date.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2012.
The Anti-Terrorism Court-III rejected bail applications by two people accused of trying to extort at least a million rupees from a well-off man.
The accused men, Faisal Hussain and Irfan Ahmed, had allegedly demanded Rs1 million from the victim. After negotiations, the amount was first brought down to Rs400,000 and then Rs200,000. It is a common practice in Karachi to negotiate extortion amounts, as well as initial ransom demands in kidnapping cases.
The complainant in the case had meanwhile informed the police of the threats. The phone number used to make the extortion demands was traced and the police were able to locate the suspects and arrested them on August 18 in Gizri. The First Information Report 270/2012 names the two men.
Interestingly enough, the SIM card was registered in the name of the complainant’s brother. The two suspects reportedly worked as employees of the complainant’s brother for a short time, and also worked at a well-known education centre in Defence.
At the bail hearing on Saturday, the prosecution argued that the SIM card used in the crime was seized from Faisal. The men were arrested on the spot and the SIM card jacket as well as the phone used to make the calls were seized from them. The prosecution said that the telephone data confirmed that the men had been involved in the crime.
The defence counsel, on the other hand, argued that his clients were not guilty. The court did not give the men bail and set November 17 as the next hearing date.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2012.