A sessions court has awarded a collective sentence of 14 years in jail to a street criminal in cases pertaining to robbery and possessing illicit arms.
Haroon was found guilty of committing robbery at gunpoint in the Korangi area in June 2022. Additional Sessions Judge (East) Shahid Ali Memon ruled that the prosecution succeeded in proving its case against the accused beyond any shadow of doubt. “The testimony of the witnesses, supported by corroborative evidence and investigative findings, convincingly implicates the accused in the commission of the crime,” he said.
The judge awarded seven-year imprisonment to the convict for offence punishable under Section 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code. He handed down additional seven years in jail to the convict for possession of an unlicensed weapon.
The judge ordered him to pay a fine of Rs20,000 or undergo one more month of imprisonment. The convict, who appeared on bail, was taken into custody and remanded to the prison to serve out the sentence.
The judge noted that street crime like robbery/dacoity was on the rise in Karachi, and in such circumstances, releasting an accused due to minor or slight contradictions was not in the welfare of society as suchcriminals had created terror in the city, due to which many innocent people have even lost their lives.
According to the prosecution, on June 16, 2022, accused Haroon and his accomplice, on a motorcycle, intercepted complainant Abdul Ghaffar, who works in police MTRRF section Alfalah Base, and his friend Abdul Fatah near Nasir Jump in the Korangi area and looted mobile phones and over Rs20,000 in cash from them. The complainant managed to get hold of one of the muggers, while the other managed to flee the spot. He subsequently turned the accused in to the KIA police.
An unlicensed pistol and looted mobile phones were seized from his possession, the prosecution said. On the other hand, accused Haroon said he and his daughter were returning home when his motorcycle collided with the complainant’s motorcycle, leading to a quarrel and exchange of harsh words. He claimed that he was beaten and taken to the police station where the police demanded a bribe from his family in exchange for his release. He alleged that when the bribe was not paid, he was falsely implicated in the case.