KARACHI: An antiterrorism court indicted an official of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital on Monday in explosive material and illicit weapons cases.

Fariduddin, the finance director of the health facility, was booked for allegedly dumping a large cache of arms and ammunition and explosives in Nazimabad`s Khajji ground.

The ATC-H judge read out charges against the accused.

However, he pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the cases.

The court summoned all prosecution witnesses on Nov 17.

According to the prosecution, Rangers had placed the accused under 90-day preventive detention on June 4 for his alleged involvement in terrorism activities. In August, they handed him over to police.

The accused was booked in two cases at the Rizvia Society police station after the law enforcement agencies recovered weapons and explosives on a lead provided by him, it added.

Man jailed for five years in extortion case The same court sentenced a man to five-year imprisonment in an extortion case.

Ramiz Munir was found guilty of demanding and collecting protection money from complainant Muhammad Iqbal by putting him in the fear of death in Orangi Town last year.

The court acquitted the accused in a connected case pertaining to possession of an illicit weapon for lack of evidence.