Extortion: Rs1,500, a cup of tea will cost this man seven years in jail
Convict claims police had implicated him in a fake case for refusing to pay bribe
Convict claims police had implicated him in a fake case for refusing to pay bribe. STOCK IMAGE
KARACHI:
An anti-terrorism court sentenced on Wednesday a man to seven years in prison after convicting him of taking in extortion an amount of Rs1,500.
Gul Hasan, a scrap dealer, was booked in the extortion case two years ago by the Shershah police. According to the prosecution, he had threatened a plastic trader, Sikandar, to attack his factory with a hand grenade if he did not pay the protection money.
The investigation officer said that the accused was caught red-handed at the complainant's place, while taking the extortion money. "SI Naseer Magsi, who was patrolling in the area at the time, received direction through the police helpline 15 to rush to a site where an illicit activity was taking place. The police officer, along with four other personnel, reached the site and found the accused and the complainant," the judgment read.
As the law enforcers emerged at the scene, the prosecution stated, the complainant told them that the accused was there to collect Rs15,000 as extortion money which he was demanding for some time. The complainant added that he had, however, given the accused 10 percent of the amount 'to save himself.'
"At round 2:30pm, Nawaz came to my factory and demanded extortion. After negotiations, I paid him Rs15,00 and offered him tea. Meanwhile, someone informed the police and they arrived on the scene," the complainant told the court in his statement. The police had arrested the accused and seized an unlicensed pistol from him.
The accused, on the other hand, denied the charges. "Nothing was recovered from me and police implicated me in the case for not paying them bribe," Nawaz pleaded to the court. He could not, however, prove his claim.
Eventually, after running the trial for one and a half year, the ATC-V judge Javed Alam convicted the accused of the offense under the Anti-Terrorism Act. "I am of the view that the prosecution has proved their case against the accused Gul Nawaz without any shadow of doubt," the judge observed.
Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in prison for possessing an illicit weapon and five years for extortion. He was also ordered to pay a collective fine of Rs10,000.
As the judge delivered the verdict, the convict kept his cool.
Clad in a blue-striped shirt and a matching pair of jeans, this resident of Lyari hoped the appellate court will overturn the sentence.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2015.
An anti-terrorism court sentenced on Wednesday a man to seven years in prison after convicting him of taking in extortion an amount of Rs1,500.
Gul Hasan, a scrap dealer, was booked in the extortion case two years ago by the Shershah police. According to the prosecution, he had threatened a plastic trader, Sikandar, to attack his factory with a hand grenade if he did not pay the protection money.
The investigation officer said that the accused was caught red-handed at the complainant's place, while taking the extortion money. "SI Naseer Magsi, who was patrolling in the area at the time, received direction through the police helpline 15 to rush to a site where an illicit activity was taking place. The police officer, along with four other personnel, reached the site and found the accused and the complainant," the judgment read.
As the law enforcers emerged at the scene, the prosecution stated, the complainant told them that the accused was there to collect Rs15,000 as extortion money which he was demanding for some time. The complainant added that he had, however, given the accused 10 percent of the amount 'to save himself.'
"At round 2:30pm, Nawaz came to my factory and demanded extortion. After negotiations, I paid him Rs15,00 and offered him tea. Meanwhile, someone informed the police and they arrived on the scene," the complainant told the court in his statement. The police had arrested the accused and seized an unlicensed pistol from him.
The accused, on the other hand, denied the charges. "Nothing was recovered from me and police implicated me in the case for not paying them bribe," Nawaz pleaded to the court. He could not, however, prove his claim.
Eventually, after running the trial for one and a half year, the ATC-V judge Javed Alam convicted the accused of the offense under the Anti-Terrorism Act. "I am of the view that the prosecution has proved their case against the accused Gul Nawaz without any shadow of doubt," the judge observed.
Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in prison for possessing an illicit weapon and five years for extortion. He was also ordered to pay a collective fine of Rs10,000.
As the judge delivered the verdict, the convict kept his cool.
Clad in a blue-striped shirt and a matching pair of jeans, this resident of Lyari hoped the appellate court will overturn the sentence.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2015.