Trigger-happy cops shoot robbery victims in Karachi

KARACHI:

On Tuesday night, Ataullah Shareef was returning home from work with his brother, nephew and a co-worker.

It had been another day at the construction site where he worked as a shutter contractor. They were passing through Mehran Town in Korangi Industrial Area when they were intercepted by robbers.

Shaken, Ataullah and his brother Sanaullah managed to place a call at the police helpline Madadgar 15. Around 10 minutes passed before the sounds of gunfire rang in the air. Thinking the robbers were back, the brothers ducked and attempted to hide. But before he knew it, Ataullah was struck by a bullet and fell to the ground.

As the chaos subsided, Sanaullah saw two injured men near him. He recognised them as his nephew and a fellow worker, Shahzad and Khizer.

At a short distance, he saw cops huddled around a man on the ground, seemingly with weapons, and the police clicking pictures.

When did the police arrive? Sanaullah had heard no police siren or alarm before the air reverberated with gunshots and he ducked fearing the robbers' return.

A routine 'encounter'

Meanwhile, Korangi SSP Faisal Abdullah Chachar's PSO informed the department that a police team had encountered six to seven robbers behind Jinnah Medical in Mehran Town, Korangi Industrial Area.

A man was shot dead and two others were injured. Portraying them as criminals, the cops identified the deceased as Ataullah, 40, and the injured as 23-year-old Shahzad and Khizer, 35. The deceased and the injured were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

With street crime rampant in the city, on the surface of it, this was just routine police activity. As far as the department was concerned, a police team had intercepted robbers, an exchange of fire ensued and a suspect was killed while two others were injured.

But the matter soon became complicated. Sanaullah's version of events made it to the media.

Later, SSP Chachar disclosed that no weapons were found in the possession of the deceased or the injured. Nor did they have any past criminal records, he said, adding that the Landhi SSP was investigating the matter.

Investigation launched

On Wednesday morning, a case was lodged under Sections 394 and 302 read with Section 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code - pertaining to intentional murder and voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery - against five police officials who participated in the 'encounter.'

The case was registered on Sanaullah's behalf.

The case has been forwarded to the investigation police for further inquiry while the weapons of the errant cops, who were allegedly detained later on Tuesday night, have been confiscated.

According to the police, the weapons confiscated from the perpetrators have been sent for forensic analysis along with the empty bullet shells of an SMG and other small weapons found at the crime scene.

An investigation committee has been set up and the initial report has been prepared, while the suspected officials' statements have also been recorded, said the police. The identities of the policemen allegedly responsible for the incident have not been revealed.

'Cops guilty'

According to sources affiliated with the police, the initial investigation report has found the cops guilty.

The report states no evidence of any exchange of fire between the police and the robbers was found, as the latter had fled before the cops arrived.

The police opened fire at citizens, assuming them to be robbers, the report added, saying that the victims were trying to find the belongings they had thrown in the bushes to prevent the robbers from taking them when the cops opened fire at them.

Meanwhile, Ataullah's brother-in-law, Taimoor, expressed doubts about the police investigation. Speaking to the media outside the Korangi Industrial Area police station, Taimoor said the police had not nominated the detained cops for their involvement in the incident.

The aggrieved family did not even know the number of officials supposedly in custody as there was no official present at the lockup, he added.

Trigger-happy cops and police brutality are an unfortunate reality of the law enforcement system. Over the years, several such cases have emerged with some garnering public attention and others going unnoticed.