Mobile phone snatcher sent to jail for seven years

A sessions court has sentenced a street criminal to seven years in prison for committing a robbery last year in March. Mustafa was found guilty of snatching a mobile phone from a man at gunpoint near Gurumandir, in the Soldier Bazaar police jurisdiction.

The additional sessions judge (East) exonerated co-accused Akbar Ali of the charge of abetment, noting that the investigating officer had arrested him solely because Mustafa and his absconding accomplice Sikandar had used Ali’s motorbike during the crime. The judge said that there was insufficient evidence to prove the charge of abetment against him.

However, she emphasised that the prosecution had successfully established its case against Mustafa beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to his sentence of seven years of rigorous imprisonment.

Noting the alarming prevalence of such crimes in society that leave people deprived of their valuable belongings and even their lives at the hands of criminals, she stressed the need for these offenses to be dealt with an iron fist. She placed the case against absconding accused Sikandar on hold until his arrest or surrender.

According to the prosecution, on March 24, 2023, two individuals on a motorbike robbed complainant Raheel of his mobile phone at gunpoint near Gurumandir. Raheel pursued the robbers and collided his car with their motorbike near Karachi X-Ray Lab, causing them to fall.

The robbers attempted to escape while firing shots at him. Raheel exited his car, caught a ride on a passing motorbike, and continued the chase. The robbers fled in a rickshaw towards Khudadad Colony.

Upon reaching the area, they exited the rickshaw and tried to escape on foot towards Baba Pizza Street. Raheel followed them, but one of the robbers shot him, resulting in injuries. He was then taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The state prosecutor argued that the police later arrested Ali, whose motorbike was used in the robbery. During interrogation, Ali disclosed that his nephew Sikandar had taken his bike and committed the robbery with Mustafa. On May 10, 2023, Mustafa joined the investigation after obtaining bail.

An FIR had been filed under sections 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.