Police submit inquiry report in court on 'fake' encounters

Suggest ATC send cases to trial court for disposal or form judicial

KARACHI:  

An inquiry report, which was sought by the anti-terrorism courts' (ATCs) administrative judge over alleged encounters, has suggested that the cases of suspected fake encounters be sent to trial courts for disposal or a judicial commission be formed, as internal inquiry teams have completed their work. The matter is likely to be taken up in court today.

On February 10, the court had ordered Sindh Inspector-General Allah Dino Khawaja to conduct an inquiry into 65 cases of alleged staged encounters that took place during the past two months. More than 80 suspects who were booked under charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery and assaulting law enforcers had been presented in injured condition before the ATC's administrative judge by the police since December 29 last year.



Expressing concerns, the judge had remarked that these cases depicted the 'classic high-handedness of the law enforcement agencies, as almost all the accused sustained bullet injuries on their legs during night time occurrences, as per prosecution stories'.

On the contrary, the suspects, when presented in the court by the police for their remand, stated that they were shot after they were arrested, while most of them were found to be drug addicts, the report reads. The law enforcement agencies cannot be given a licence to grievously hurt or kill any person allegedly in an encounter, the judge said, adding that such acts will create horrible and radical consequences.

In the report, the provincial police chief said that the cases may be decided by the trial courts and a judicial inquiry conducted where serious doubts were raised by the affected parties. It was further mentioned in the report that standard operating procedure or guidelines needed to be made for police personnel to minimise the use of lethal weapons and proportionate use of force to handle a suspect.



The report said that the police personnel should be trained to deal with situations or cases like these, in which the suspects were shot at and injured or killed. The police should also be taught modern techniques that can be used in apprehending suspects, the report reads.

The IG had constituted three committees to conduct inquiries. The first committee comprised the South DIG, Central SSP and Orangi SP, which looked into 42 cases of alleged encounters registered in separate police stations of West zone. The second inquiry team was headed by Crime Investigation Agency DIG and comprised two other senior officers, the Korangi SSP and Gulshan-e-Iqbal SP. It was tasked with 15 cases reported in East zone. The third committee, comprising the West DIG, City SSP and Saddar SP, investigated eight cases lodged at police stations of South zone.

The report said that the statements of injured suspects, other witnesses and police personnel allegedly involved in the cases were recorded during the inquiry.