Robina Subohi said her husband, Imdad Hussain Mirza, went missing on January 19, shortly after instructing her on the phone to give a blank cheque to three men inquiring after him. A while after the first phone call, she added, Mirza called her again telling her that he was being taken to the Civil Lines Police Station.
That was the last she heard from him. Subohi fears he is being illegally detained by either the city police or by the men who came to collect the cheque (she named Zahoor and two others).
She approached the area’s City Police Officer (CPO) for assistance. But when he did not respond, she filed an application with the police to register an abduction case against Zahoor. A court on February 7 directed Station House Officer Saddar Berooni to investigate the matter but he did nothing, said Subohi.
Later on March 5, in another application, the court directed the CPO to personally look into the matter and address the Subohi’s grievances. Again, “the police did nothing”.
Instead, as Subohi informed The Express Tribune, the police registered a criminal case against her husband on the complaint of Muhammad Khursheed, owner of a rental car service.
In his complaint, Khursheed stated that he rented a car to Mirza on February 17, who did not return it on the stipulated time nor pay the rent. He further alleged that Mirza called him up to inform him that his friend had sold the car and he was ready to pay its cost. He issued a cheque for Rs1.5 million in compensation but the cheque bounced.
Robina stated the FIR against her husband was false and did not explain the whereabouts of Mirza from January 19 when he disappeared and February 17, when he allegedly stole the car. She emphasised that her concern was only for the safety of her husband who had not been home in three months.
‘Gone into hiding’
Sub Inspector Tariq Mehmood Gondal, the investigation officer, said the complaint was dismissed after investigations, as Mirza already had an FIR registered against him on prior offenses. Gondal added that Mirza has gone into hiding to avoid arrest and his wife has been filing complaints to mislead the police.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2012.
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