Staged encounter case: Court summons police officers

Victim was mistaken for a notorious criminal and shot over 15 times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has summoned Hyderabad’s senior superintendent of police and the SITE SHO over the alleged fake encounter of a Hindu doctor, a day after The Express Tribune revealed the 14-month ordeal of the “half-fried” victim.

The two officers were on Monday directed to appear in court on June 1. Notices have also been issued to the Sindh chief secretary, the home and health secretaries, police chief and the Hyderabad DIG for filing their comments.

Dr Deepak Raj, a psychiatrist from Korangi, has been hospitalised in police custody since April 2015, when he was mistaken for a notorious criminal named Sharif Panhwar and shot more than 15 times in a staged encounter.

His wife Suneeta has gone to the court, seeking compensation from the provincial authorities for the disabilities suffered by her husband, whose left leg had to be amputated after getting shattered by 12 bullets. Despite establishing his identity, Deepak remains in police custody as Sharif Panhwar. The victim had gone to visit his relatives near Fateh Chowk in the SITE area of Hyderabad on April 10, but did not return.

Suneeta’s counsel Advocate Amanullah Sheikh said his client learnt about the arrest of her husband by SITE police through a Sindhi-language newspaper the following day.

She went to the Civil Hospital Hyderabad, where Deepak was found severely injured. The police took the doctor to the SITE police station, where the officials pressured him to admit that he was indeed Sharif Panhwar, the counsel alleged.

Suneeta stated when Deepak refused to give a fake confessional statement, the policemen severely tortured him.

When the police realised they had arrested the wrong person, they deliberately delayed his transfer to hospital, wanting him to die. While Deepak survived, doctors had to amputate his left leg from above the knee. Amanullah claimed Hyderabad SSP Irfan Baloch had admitted Deepak’s case was of a mistaken identity but insisted the shootout actually took place.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2016.