Court disposes of beverage company owner’s ‘abduction’ case as police cite lack of interest

A judicial magistrate has accepted the police's final investigation report seeking disposal of a case pertaining to the alleged abduction of the owner of a well-known beverage company in 'A class'.

Zulfiqar Ahmed, the owner of a beverage company, was allegedly abducted from Karachi's Mauripur Road on July 23 and had returned home in Lahore five days later.

The investigation officer, DSP Imtiaz Hussain, filed a final report as required under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code before Judicial Magistrate (South) Yasir Memon, pleading to dispose of the case in 'A class'. An A-class report is filed when accused persons are unknown or untraceable.

The magistrate observed that since the persons involved in the crime were unknown and had not been traced yet, the IO submitted the report for disposal of the case in ‘A class’. Accepting the report, he directed the IO to continue his investigation and take efforts for the arrest of the perpetrators as well as production of the abducted person, Ahmed, before the court.

The investigation officer was further ordered to submit fortnightly investigation reports about efforts taken in this regard. In his report, the DSP said the magistrate had earlier rejected the police's 'A class' report and ordered a fresh investigation to be conducted by a police officer not below the rank of DSP. He added that he was subsequently assigned the investigation.

The police officer said he had sent letters to the complainant and the alleged abductee to record their statements, adding that as per Ahmed's travel history, he was out of the country. However, the IO said that complainant Imran Malik recorded his statement on September 30, explaining that Ahmed's lawyers had informed the Sindh High Court on July 30 that he had returned home, after which the petition was disposed of. He said that as per Malik, his employer was abroad and that he had no knowledge of Qaiser, Ahmed's friend, who was with him at the time of his abduction.

"The former and incumbent IOs of the case sent several notices to both the complainant and the abductee but neither is taking any interest in the case," the IO said, requesting the judge to dispose of the case in A class.

An FIR was lodged at the Kalri police station on the complaint of Imran Malik, manager of the Paracha Textile Mills. He stated that Ahmed, director of the textile company, along with his friend Qaiser had left the factory in the Shershah area for Clifton on July 23 when eight unidentified armed men in a vehicle without a number plate intercepted their car near from Mauripur Road near Agra Taj. They later released Qaiser but whisked Ahmed away.