Ahsan’s death case: Bullet shell found matches police personnel’s weapon: investigation team

CTD DIG finds flaws in the police investigation, expresses annoyance

KARACHI: The empty bullet shell found at the crime scene, where 19-month-old Ahsan was killed in an alleged police encounter, matched the weapon of one of the police officials nominated in the case.

Ahsan was shot in an alleged crossfire between the police officials and dacoits near Safoora Chowrangi on April 16. According to investigation police sources, the weapons of all accused were sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis and one of them matched with the shell found at the crime scene.

The sources, however, said that whether the crossfire was between the police officials and dacoits or it was just a personal dispute amongst the police personnel is yet to be ascertained.

The deceased's family had also claimed that there was no police encounter but just a personal dispute amongst the officials, as a result of which they fired directly at the rickshaw the family was in.



The investigation team was still looking for the rickshaw driver and the citizen who informed the police about the dacoits. Their statements would be crucial in the development of the case.

Furthermore, the investigation police sources said that only one bullet shell was found at the place of incident making it less likely if there was exchange of fire between two parties.

Transfer of case

Meanwhile, Sindh Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr Kaleem Imam issued directives to transfer the investigations of the case to the counter-terrorism department (CTD). He also directed the CTD IG that the investigations of the case should be handed over to an expert so that the case could be solved as soon as possible.

The investigation team for the case was formed by Sindh IGP on Thursday headed by South Deputy Inspector-General Sharjeel Kharal and comprising South SSP Pir Muhammad Shah.

Flaws in investigation

Even after four days, statements of the accused police officials have not been recorded and the medico-legal report of Ahsan's father Kashif, who was injured in the incident, has also not been released.

The CTD Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Abdullah Sheikh said this on Saturday while talking to media outside the deceased's home. Sheikh expressed annoyance with the initial investigation of the police. He said that the statements of accused, which should've been recorded immediately, were not recorded yet.



Moreover, he said, that the medico-legal report of Kashif, which could've determined the direction of the bullet that struck him, hasn't been issued yet. The police also failed to collect the eyewitness accounts and didn't even seal the crime scene, because of which only one bullet shell was found while there might have been more if there was an encounter.

Sheikh assured that an efficient investigation process will be carried out and all the major evidences will be analysed. The four accused police officials will be taken in the CTD custody for interrogation.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2019.