Court grants remand of Sindh cops accused of police brutality

A citizen was killed and another injured in the incident

KARACHI: The administrative judge of the anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted the physical remand on Saturday of three police officials accused of shooting two citizens early Friday morning near Frere Hall, killing one and injuring the other.

Accused, Sub-Inspector Abdul Ghaffar, Head Constable Aftab and Constable Muhammad Ali Shah, were produced before the administrative judge at the Sindh High Court by the investigation police.

The investigation officer (IO) told the judge that the accused had opened fire at Nabeel Hoodbhoy's car near Cantt Station. Nabeel Hoodbhoy was killed and his friend, Raza Imam, was injured in the incident.

The court handed over the accused to the investigation police on a four-day physical remand.

The accused have been booked in an FIR registered at the Artillery Maidan Police Station under section 302 (punishment for murder), 324 (attempted murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code and the 7-ATA (Anti-Terrorism Act).

Remand of 'target killer' extended

The administrative judge of the ATC extended the four-day physical remand of alleged Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) target killer Yousuf alias Thelaywala.

Yousuf was produced before the administrative judge. The IO maintained that the accused killed a trader in Orangi Town for not paying extortion money. He requested the court to extend the physical remand of the accused as further interrogation has to be carried out.

According to police, Yousuf was involved in killing at least 96 persons including an officer of the Pakistan Air Force, a government employee and a political worker. Police claim the accused began target killings in 1995 and was first arrested by the Rangers in 1997.

Anti-state slogans case

Meanwhile, an ATC directed the counsels of the accused to continue cross-questioning on the petitioner's statement at the next hearing of the case pertaining to anti-state slogans, terrorism and attack on media houses.

The case was heard at Karachi Central Jail. Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan, Qamar Mansoor, Shahid Pasha, Gulfaraz Khattak and other accused appeared before the court while a plea for exemption from court was filed on behalf of MQM leader Kunwar Naveed Jamil.

Advocate Irshad Bandhani maintained that Jamil was sick and therefore could not appear before the court on Saturday (yesterday). The counsels for the other accused maintained that copy of the petitioner's statement was not provided to them. The IO said that the copies had been provided.

The court directed the defence lawyers to continue cross-questioning at the next hearing on December 7.

Two cases are registered against the accused at the Artillery Maidan Police Station. The court has declared four other accused, including the MQM founder, as absconders. A man died and several others were injured during vandalism by MQM workers on August 22, 2016.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2019.