KARACHI: A Karachi court has sentenced Owais Zia to nine years in prison in a case involving the blackmail of a woman and her family using private images and videos following the rejection of his marriage proposal. The court also imposed a fine of Rs135,000 and ordered him to pay Rs1 million in compensation to the victim.
Judicial Magistrate East Gulraiz Memon announced the verdict. The court cancelled the accused’s bail and ordered his arrest from the courtroom, after which he was sent to prison.
According to the prosecution, the accused lived in the victim’s neighbourhood and frequently visited her home. He had proposed marriage to her, but her family rejected the proposal over concerns about his character and behaviour. The prosecution said the accused had obtained the woman’s private images and videos during their interactions and later used the material to threaten and blackmail her after the rejection.
The prosecution further stated that the accused had sent the explicit material to the woman’s father and other relatives through WhatsApp. He was arrested from his residence in 2021.
The victim told the court that the accused had threatened to prevent her from getting engaged or married. The defence counsel, however, argued that the case stemmed from a family dispute and financial disagreements, maintaining that the relationship between the two had been consensual.
The court observed that the victim’s testimony remained consistent and firm despite cross-examination. It held that using private images to threaten, harass or blackmail someone constitutes a punishable offence. The court also noted that the forensic report corroborated the witnesses’ statements.
The Cyber Crime Reporting Centre registered the case against the accused.
