At variance: SHO involved in killing teenage suspect arrested

15-year-old Farhan was gunned down by police late on Monday

FAISALABAD:

Police claimed on Tuesday to have arrested the Peoples’ Colony SHO Faryad Hussain for his alleged involvement in the killing of a teenager suspected of being a robber late on Monday following a complaint by the father of the deceased.

15-year-old Farhan Ahmed Khan, a resident of Officers’ Colony No 2, was playing with a toy pistol along with his 17-year-old friend Fahd Javed in a park when a team from the Peoples’ Colony police station arrived at the spot and shot the boys.

The injured were taken to the DHQ hospital where Khan had later succumbed to his injuries and Javed was reported to be fighting for his life. Sultan Naseer, an uncle of Javed, told The Express Tribune that the friends had gone to Safina Park in Madina Town to take photographs. Naseer said the two were busy taking photographs with a toy pistol when the police team opened fire on them.

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SHO Hussain told The Express Tribune that an anonymous caller had informed him that some men were robbing people on the road between the Faizan-i-Madina Chowk and the Rakh Branch Canal. He said he had reached the spot along with a police team and witnessed the two depriving citizens of valuables.

Hussain said the “robbers” had opened fire at the police team after being urged to surrender. He said one of the “robbers” had been injured in the consequent exchange of fire while his accomplice had managed to escape.  Hussain said police had taken the injured suspect to the DHQ hospital.

He said the boy had been later identified as Farhan son of Iftikhar Ahmed, caste Tareen Pathan, resident of Peoples’ Colony. “Police also seized a 0.30-bore pistol from the suspect.

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A special police team has been constituted to nab his absconding accomplice,” the SHO told The Express Tribune. 

Separately, CPO Afzaal Kausar took notice of the incident on Tuesday and constituted a committee to look into the matter. The committee comprises Investigation SSP Bilal Umar, Madina Town SP Jameel Jaffar and Lyallpur Town SP Owais Ahmed. The CPO instructed the committee to submit a report regarding the incident in 24 hours. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2015.