Man gets 14-year jail term for eatery robbery, unlicensed weapon

A sessions court has awarded a collective sentence of 14 years in prison to a mugger in cases pertaining to robbery and possession of an unlicensed weapon.

Adnan was found guilty of robbing a hotel and four workers of over Rs175,000 in cash and mobile phones at gunpoint in Korangi, within the Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) police jurisdiction, last August.

Additional Sessions Judge (East) Shahid Ali Memon ruled that the prosecution succeeded in establishing its case against the accused beyond any shadow of a doubt. He awarded seven-year imprisonment to the convict for the offence punishable under Section 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The judge handed down another seven-year imprisonment to the convict for the possession of an unlicensed weapon. He was ordered to pay a fine of Rs20,000 or undergo an additional two-month jail term for defaulting.

“Nowadays the crime of robbery/dacoity is on the rise in Karachi, and the public at large does not feel secure at the hands of merciless muggers. As such, in the larger interest of public, minor or slightest contradictions are hereby ignored,” observed the judge.

“In this case, there is direct evidence against the accused, followed by the recovery of an unlicensed weapon, and the accused has not brought on record anything which could shatter the sound evidence of the prosecution.”

He noted that complainant Mohammad Akbar said during his testimony that he had forgiven the accused in the name of Almighty Allah because his wife, mother and daughter came to his home, and thus, the defence counsel did not cross-examine the witness.

Since the lawyer did not cross-examine the witness, his evidence being free from all doubts proved the case of the prosecution, he pointed out. According to Prosecutor Syed Khursheed Bukhari, on August 25, 2023, the accused, along with his accomplices, committed a robbery at a hotel in Nasir Colony, Sector 32-D, Korangi.

They looted Rs165,000 in cash from the hotel’s counter, and robbed four employees of their mobile phones and cash amounting to Rs12,000. The accused was caught by the complainant and the people present there, while his two accomplices managed to flee.

On getting information of the incident, a police party arrived there and arrested the accused, recovering an unlicensed pistol from his possession. In his statement recorded under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the accused denied the prosecution’s allegations, saying that the complainant already forgave him.

The accused also claimed that he had not committed the alleged offence, and that nothing was recovered from him but the police had foisted a weapon on him. Two separate FIRs were lodged against him at the KIA police station on the complaint of the hotel owner.