An anti-terrorism court here on Tuesday indicted Uzair Baloch, the kingpin of the infamous criminal gang in Lyari, in a case related to the kidnapping and murder of a trader. Hearing the case at Central Jail, Karachi, the ATC judge framed charges against the accused who denied having any role in the abduction and murder of Abdul Samad and opted to contest the charges. Jail authorities produced him in the courtroom with his head covered and both hands cuffed amid tight security. The court issued notices to the investigation officer and witnesses to turn up at next hearing for deposition.According to the charge-sheet, the trader was taken captive by Uzair and his accomplices who demanded Rs1 million as protection money for his safe release. They murdered the abductee despite payment of Rs70,000 ransom. Uzair Baloch’s brother Zubair Baloch has also been behind bars in the case. Earlier, Joint Investigation Report (JIT) of Lyari Crime Lord Uzair Baloch unveiled by Sindh governrment revealed that the accused had involved in the killing of 198 people and several heinous crimes. The report said that the gangster joined the Rehman Dacoit gang to take revenge for his father’s killing by Arshad Pappu. The Lyari gangster also confessed to killing Arshad PapuThe JIT report revealed that seven-station house officers (SHOs) had been appointed in police stations on the basis of Baloch’s political influences in order to establish an organized network of criminals in Lyari. The Joint Investigation Report (JIT) report also revealed the purchase of various weapons between 2008 and 2013, as well as his implication in the targeted killing of several people.The JIT investigators exposed the ownership of illegal assets of Uzair Baloch in Pakistan and Dubai. More than 20 accomplices of Uzair Baloch are listed in theJoint Investigation Report (JIT).
