KARACHI, April 22: A sessions court on Monday sentenced two men to death in a murder case.

The court found Abdul Islam and Javed guilty of killing Baloch Khan during a robbery at an eatery in Saeedabad in October 2007.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (west) Zahida Sikandar pronounced her verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.

The court directed the convicts to pay Rs100,000 each to the heirs of the deceased and in case of non-payment they would have to undergo additional six-month imprisonment.

The accused were also held accountable under Section 392 (punishment for robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code and handed down 10 years in prison.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs10,000 each and in case of default they would have to suffer an additional three months in prison.

The court in its verdict ruled that eyewitnesses had identified the accused and specifically assigned their roles in the commissioning of the murder and the robbery.

The medical and other documentary evidence had also corroborated their evidence and strengthened the case of the prosecution, it added.

The charge stood proved against both the accused beyond a shadow of a doubt as the evidence advanced by the prosecution was confidence-inspiring, it concluded.

According to the prosecution, the accused along with their absconding accomplice Shahzad broke into an eatery on Oct 26, 2007, held the staff and people at gunpoint and started collecting cash and other valuables. However, Baloch Khan, an employee of the hotel, put up resistance and the accused opened fire leaving him critically wounded, it added.

The victim died a couple of days after the incident. The police arrested the accused on Oct 30, 2007 in another case and during interrogations they disclosed their involvement in the present case.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 393 (attempt to commit robbery), 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC at the Saeedabad police station on a complaint of the owner of the eatery.

The accused were produced in court in custody on Monday and after the pronouncement of the verdict they were remanded back to prison along with conviction warrants. The court ruled that the capital punishment was subjected to confirmation of the high court.

Illegal detention case

A judicial magistrate on Monday raided the Sharea Faisal police station and found a man apparently kept there in unlawful detention.

On a directive of a district and sessions judge, Judicial Magistrate (east) Amir Latif raided the police station along with applicant Mohammad Ali Riaz and his lawyer and ordered the release of the detainee on a personal bond.

Court sources said that the magistrate found victim Umer Riaz in the lock-up and the police failed to produce an FIR or any other document to justify his confinement.