By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: Additional district and sessions judge Chitral Muhammad Khan handed down capital punishment to five persons in the triple murder case of Osiak Drosh in which three persons including father and son had been shot dead by their cousin in a feud over a piece of land.
Senior lawyer Zafar Hayat advocate, pleading for the assassinated persons told Chitral Times that on 4th May 2014, Maqsoodul Mulk, Jahanzebul Mulk (son of Maqsoodul Mulk), and Iqbalul Mulk with allegedly hired persons Mian Gul Jan and Qayum Khan of Damil opened indiscriminate firing on their cousins Noorul Mulk, his son Samiul Mulk and Muazazul Mulk killing them on the spot.
He said that Chitral Police had registered case under sections 302,148,149 and 440 PPC and section 15 of Arms Ordinance against the accused which the prosecution proved in the court on which the court ordered to hang them till death for three times while a penalty of Rs. 1 million was also imposed on each of them which will be distributed equally among the heirs of the assassinated.
Mr. Hayat said that the court convicted the accused on the basis of confession of the accused before the court and the evidence presented by the prosecution while one of the accused abetting the principal accused Maqsoodul Mulk that on the day of occurrence, they harvested the wheat crop near the scene and removed the barbed wires dividing the farm fields of the cousins and then carried out the onslaught just after dawn.
He said that the convict Mian Gul Jan had fled to Afghanistan along with his sons and were declared proclaimed offenders who were later nabbed by Chitral Police a year later in 2015 when they entered Arandu village.
He said that six other persons including Syed Imtiaz Jan, Baberul Mulk, Israel Khan, Ramdad Khan and Gul Muhammad were also booked in the case for their presence on the site of firing but they were absolved of the charges for lack of evidence.
Mr. Hayat said that this was first type of incident in the history of Chitral in which three persons of a family had been assassinated by their cousins while the court did not find any mitigating factor to absolve them while the court turned down the plea of the convict that the firing had been initiated by the slain persons and they fired only their self defense.
The principal accused Maqsoodul Mulk, who had been freed on bail along with his accomplices were arrested from the court room after the court handed down its verdict while a punishment of 5 years rigorous imprisonment was also imposed on Maqsoodul Mulk for keeping illegal weapons.
The defense lawyers panel included that of Barq Ahmed advocate, Waqas Ahmed advocate and Farid Jan advocate.
