The Anti-Terrorism Court III heard closing arguments from the prosecution and defence lawyer in the case of Mohammad Rehman and a juvenile suspect, Z, who were accused of kidnapping Rehman’s cousin. The kidnapping took place on July 18, 2010 and a case was registered the same year.
Rehman is believed to have kidnapped his cousin from a wedding party and handed him over to Z. He then demanded Rs2.2 million from his cousin’s father, also Rehman’s maternal uncle. When the police traced the calls, however, they discovered Rehman’s connection to the family. Police rescued Rehman’s cousin after he led them to him.
The prosecution examined five witnesses over the course of the case proceedings. In his closing arguments, Special Public Prosecutor Abdul Maroof said that the two suspects had confessed to a judicial magistrate that they were responsible for the kidnapping and had done so because they were ‘tired of being impoverished’.
The defence counsel, on the other hand, said that there was a contradiction in the witness statements and that the prosecution had failed to prove its case.
The lawyer also claimed that the First Information Report was filed by the police after the victim had been rescued, which the prosecution denies.
The prosecution has asked for maximum punishment to be awarded. According to section 365-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, anyone who has kidnapped someone with the intent of extorting money “shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to forfeiture of property”. The court will deliver its verdict on November 27.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2012.
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