Fake encounter: Court orders FIR against cops

HYDERABAD: A local court ordered on Saturday the registration of an FIR against former Sanghar SSP Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqui and six other policemen for allegedly killing a young man during a fake encounter a month ago.

Additional district and session judge Inayatullah Bhutto was hearing the plea submitted by Mubarak Roonjho, whose son Ali Hyder Roonjho was killed in the encounter.

Mubarak claimed his son was arrested from his residence, while the police stated they had shot him during an exchange of fire within the limits of the Perumal police.

According to the Sanghar police, Ali had been involved in the kidnapping of a landlord, namely Gulab Rai Lohano. Lohano was released by his kidnappers two weeks after his abduction on May 19, while Ali was gunned down in the alleged encounter the following day.

When his family protested his death, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and ordered the formation of an inquiry committee headed by Mirpurkhas DIG, which was to submit its report within 10 days. The results of the inquiry are yet to be submitted.

Apart from Siddiqui, Central Intelligence Agency incharge Zulfiqar Ali Pahi, inspector Allan Abbassi, former SHOs Ishaq Sangrasi,  Shareef Jamali and Gulzar Mari and ASI Ayaz Mari are to be nominated in the case. A total of 27 suspects will be charged with murder and connivance in the FIR, which will be filed on Mubarak’s behalf. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2020.