2 convicted in kidnapping, murder case

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 29: Principal Sessions Judge, Anantnag, Abdul Rashid Malik today convicted two persons in a kidnapping and murder case and will announce quantum of punishment on December 31, 2012.
According to the prosecution case, on June 10, 2003 the victim Mukhtar Ahmad, son of Nazir Ahmad Khan was kidnapped by two unknown persons and later his dead body was recovered from the bank of river Lidder at Aangmati.
Accordingly a case was registered at Police Station Anantnag and during post-mortem it came to fore that Mukhtar Ahmad died due to firearm injuries.
During the course of investigation, it came to fore that on the fateful day two unknown persons visited the deceased to purchase Alto car and took him to Mattan for payment.
Later, Pampore Police informed the Anantnag Police that they have seized Alto car under Section 550 of CrPC. During investigation it came to fore this vehicle was the same in which the deceased was kidnapped. In the case, the involvement of Fayaz Ahmad Shah, son of Ghulam Hassan Shah of Shopian and Mohammad Syed Bhat, son of Ghulam Hassan Bhat R/o Dumarhama was established and accordingly they were arrested. After completion of investigation, challan was presented in the court of law.
After hearing Public Prosecutor for the State and counsel for the accused persons, Principal Sessions Judge, Anantnag, Abdul Rashid Malik observed, “in the totality of circumstances, I am of the considered opinion and convinced that the prosecution has proved beyond any reasonable doubt that accused Fayaz Ahamd Shah and Mohammad Syed Bhat in furtherance of criminal conspiracy kidnapped the deceased Mukhtar Ahmad Khan with the intention to kill him. In furtherance of common intention they committed his murder”.
With these observations, the Court convicted the accused for the commission of offences under Sections 364, 302 read with 120-B of RPC. “The matter now shall come up for hearing of the accused on the question of quantum of punishment on December 31, 2012”, the Court said.