Not enough evidence: Two alleged extortionists acquitted

The judge observed the complainant never appeared to testify against the suspects.

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday acquitted two men in an extortion case for want of evidence.

The court acquitted Abdul Hafeez and Hussain Bux in an extortion case after the defence argued that the case was concocted by the police to implicate the suspects.

The ATC-II judge pronounced the verdict after the witnesses statements were recorded and he had heard arguments from both sides. In the judgement, the judge observed that the complainant never appeared before the court to testify against the suspects, adding that there were clear contradictions in the statements of the policemen who were made witnesses in the case.

According to the prosecution, the suspects had intercepted a scrap dealer, Muhammad Yaqoob, when he was travelling in his car in the New Karachi area on March 26, 2012. The prosecution added that the men had demanded extortion money from Yaqoob and as they were escaping, a group of policemen intercepted them. The suspects were arrested and the police seized Rs2,000 and a pistol from them. During the cross examination, it was revealed that the statements of the policemen did not add up and thus the court acquitted both the alleged extortionists.

A case, 125/12, was registered under sections 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997, at the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police station.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2014.