Police encounter: ‘Phone records can expose big names’

Sources say high ranked officers were in contact with investigation incharge in case of allegedly staged encounter.

LAHORE:

A lobby seems to trying to stop the mobile phone records of police officers being made part of the inquiry of an allegedly staged encounter. It if feared that if the phone records of are revealed, they would embarrass some influential people.

According to sources close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity, some high ranked police officers had been in contact with the SHO and the investigation in-charge during the shoot-out.

SI Riaz Ahmed has pointed a finger at investigation in-charge Zulfiqar Vario and SHO Naveed Akmal. Vario has been absent since the incident while Akmal had been made an OSD. Ahmed had said that Vario, Akmal, their gunmen and SI Akbar Ali had choreographed the entire encounter.

SSP Abdul Razzak Cheema, heading the interrogation team, said it was too soon to say anything at this stage. The investigation will be conducted fairly, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2011.