rawalpindi - A court on Tuesday extended interim bail till 2nd February of a proclaimed offender involved in a murder case in Garibabad.

Additional and Sessions Judge Raja Ajmal Khan extended the interim bail of the PO Abdul Rauf Khan after the defence lawyer Sardar Abdur Raziq told the court that the complainants belonging to an influential political party had kidnapped his client along with his driver from Fateh Jang and tortured him mercilessly besides trying to kill him.

He also told the court that the kidnappers had only let go the detainees after brother of Rauf approached the police for his safe recovery. He apprised the court that the complainant Malik Asad Jahangir, son of Malik Jahangir Khan, who is also chairman of the Union Council Morgah and belongs to the PML-N, had got registered a bogus murder case against Rauf and his 56 family members and relatives with the Police Station Airport on October 18, 2013 despite the fact that his client was not present on the crime scene. He told the court that his client was seriously injured after the kidnappers allegedly beat him and burnt his body parts with cigarettes during detention.

The defence lawyer sought extension in pre-arrest bail of Abdul Rauf. ASJ Raja Ajmal Khan, after completion of arguments of the defence lawyer, extended interim bail of the PO till February 2.

On the other hand, Lal Muhammad, resident of Shergarh, Mardan and elder brother of Rauf, had lodged complaint with the police post at Durnal (controlled by PS Fateh Jang) stating that Malik Hamza, son of Malik Jahangir Khan and nephew of N-league Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Ali Khan, along with 14 armed men, had kidnapped his brother Rauf and cousin Abid-ur-Rehman from Darri Chowk, Gali Jahangir, Fateh Jang on January 16 along with their car and taken them to a torture cell located near the police picket in Chakri.  He added that the kidnappers subjected the detainees to severe torture and burnt Rauf’s arms and other parts of the body with cigarettes and iron rods. He told the police that the kidnappers had called the two men in Gali Jahangir while impersonating travel agents and granting visa to Rauf for Australia. He mentioned that the kidnappers had called him and demanded Rs50 million as ransom for safe release of the detainees.

“The kidnappers asked me to come near the police picket in Chakri to pay ransom and to receive the abducted persons. I approached Chakri Police on February 17 and requested them to raid the torture cell to recover my brother and cousin,” Lal added. He alleged that Chakri picket officials had alerted the kidnappers prior to the raid who bundled the abducted persons in their car by covering their faces and set them free some 3 kilometers away from the picket.

“Abid called me and shared their location that was a CNG Pump in Fateh Jang where we met with them,” the complainant said.

 He requested the police to register a case against the kidnappers and to arrest them.

Following the complaint, Sub Inspector Ghulam Hassan, In-charge PP Durnal, visited the crime scene and recorded statements of the eyewitnesses. However, the case was not registered yet.

Talking to The Nation, Lal said that since the kidnapper Malik Hamza was belonging to an influential family and his uncle Chaudhry Tanvir was a senator and cousin Chaudhry Sarfraz Afzal was an MPA, the police were reluctant to register case against him. He said that he had lodged complaint with IG KP for justice. Malik Jahangir Khan, when contacted, rebuffed allegations levelled by Rauf against his son.  

DPO Attock Ibadat Nisar, however, told The Nation that occurrence of the incident was doubtful. “The victim party approached the police but are not ready to face the accused Malik Hamza when they are called in PS Fateh Jang,” he said.

SHO PS Airport Ahsan Kiyani said that an armed clash occurred between Abdul Sattar and Malik Asad Jahangir groups on October 18, 2013 in Garibabad on the issue of beef distribution on Eid-ul-Azha that left one Bilal dead and injured many others.

He said that Bilal was friend of Malik Asad Jahangir and was at his home as guest. The SHO said that the police lodged a case number 925 under sections 302/324/148/149/427 of the PPC and 13/20/65 on complaint of Malik Asad against Abdul Sattar, his sons including Abdul Rauf and 56 other men. “So far, 17 accused have obtained bails while the court declared Sattar, Kher Ullah, Bilal Khan, Abdul Qadir and Rauf as POs in the murder case,” he said.