Consequences: Death sentence awarded to murderer

Criminal accused for kidnapping and killing his nephew.

PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court on Monday awarded life imprisonment and a death sentence to an accused for kidnapping and killing his nephew, and acquitted three others accused in the case. Judge Anwer Hussain Khan was informed during the course of hearing that Imran had wanted to marry his sister-in-law Gule Rana after his brother’s demise but she refused to do so. As a result, Imran, along with Misal Khan, Zakiya and Uzma, allegedly kidnapped Rana’s nine-year-old son Usman and demanded Rs87,000 as ransom. After Rana failed to provide the ransom, Imran stoned Usman to death. The mother of the deceased child filed a case against the accused under sections 302 (murder) and 365-A (kidnapping). The court, after hearing arguments of the prosecution and recording statements of witnesses, awarded two separate sentences to Imran, and acquitted Misal Khan, Uzma and Zakiya due to a lack of evidence against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2014.