Punishment: ATC jails, fines two men for extortion

FAISALABAD: A judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday convicted two suspects in an extortion case.

According to the prosecution, Zohaib Hassan, Khurram and Sajid had demanded Rs1 million as protection money from Muhammad Saleem, a resident of Peoples Colony. Khurram and Hassan had threatened Saleem of “dire consequences” if he did not pay them the protection money.

After hearing the arguments, the judge ordered Hassan and Khurram to be imprisoned for five years.

He also fined the two convicts Rs30,000 each under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The judge also convicted the accused under Section 388 of the Pakistan Penal Code and awarded them a three-year prison sentence along with a fine of Rs30,000 for each.

The judge acquitted Sajid due to lack of evidence.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2014.