Son of custodial death victim seeks acquittal in extortion case after compromise

A local court on Monday issued a notice to the prosecution on an application of an accused seeking acquittal in an extortion case. Junaid Moiz, son of Moiz Naseem who died in police custody in an extortion case, had been booked in the same extortion case in which his father was arrested.

Naseem was found dead in the lock-up of the Darakhshan police station on April 15, and an autopsy later confirmed that he had been tortured to death. Junaid filed an application before Judicial Magistrate (South) Mazhar Ali under the Section 249-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, pleading to be acquitted of the extortion charge.

He contended that the allegations leveled in the FIR were completely false and a bogus case was lodged to implicate him and his deceased father. The applicant said that he was intercepted and arrested by police near DHA Phase VIII on April 14, 2024, while his father was arrested from his residence. He added that he was implicated in the case on mala fide intentions without any proof.

He said that the numbers from which the complainant claimed to have received threatening calls and messages did not belong to him, adding that the sections invoked in the FIR did also not apply to him because his role apparently was just that he was the son of the co-accused. The complainant, Abdul Basit, who was present in the court to record his testimony, said that he had no objection to the acquittal of the accused.

The magistrate issued a notice to the prosecution to forward arguments on the application and adjourned the hearing until November 28. Former Clifton SP Nayyar ul Haq, then Darakhshan SHO Ali Raza Leghari, Head Moharir Faisal Leghari and Sub-Inspector Sanaullah Soomro were booked in a murder case after the custodial death of Naseem.

Last week, two sons of the victim and the accused filed a compromise application before a sessions court hearing the murder case, stating that the parties had amicably patched up the matter in accordance with the law and the legal heirs of the deceased had forgiven the accused persons in the name of Almighty Allah.