Cops allegedly kidnap, torture citizen in Karachi

KARACHI: In yet another case of alleged police high-handedness, 22-year-old Shehbaz, son of Muhammad Riaz, was allegedly kidnapped and kept blindfolded in a room for a month and 16 days, allegedly by police officials.

He was fed one meal a day. He hands were tied and he was tortured while in captivity. Shehbaz was finally set free on May 16 in the jurisdiction of Malir City Police Station. A rickshaw driver took him to the police station where he informed the police of his ordeal. He accused his aunt, Sandal Naz who is a head constable at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), and her husband, Khizer Hayat who is deputed as an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) at the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC), of kidnapping him.



Case no 19/533, pertaining to Shehbaz's kidnap, was registered on May 6 on judicial orders in Korangi Industrial Area Police Station on behalf of Shehbaz's mother Mehar under sections 365/342 and 337 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to Shehbaz's statement, he was waiting for his brother, Sheeraz, on March 31 near Khattak CNG pump when a police mobile stopped and the cops ordered him to sit inside on gunpoint. He was taken to an unknown place, blindfolded and asked about a theft he didn't commit.

Shehbaz's father said that he works in the police department and his family was receiving threats from the accused.

Korangi Industrial Area SHO Aurangzeb Khattak said that the parties are relatives and had many conflicts between them. They have registered several FIRs against each other. Police has also recovered a girl from Shehbaz's house in one of the cases and the investigations of these cases are under way.