Sleuth held for orchestrating double murder

Incident raises concerns about presence of black sheep in Haripur police

HARIPUR:

A police officer has been arrested in a double murder case after investigations proved his involvement in planning the murder of two brothers who were complainants in the abduction case of their sister. Investigation Officer (IO) Qazi Ajmal allegedly invited the victims to the police station to facilitate the murder.

Sources in the Haripur police department told The Express Tribune that the suspect, who was posted at Saddar police station, was an IO in a case of the alleged kidnapping of a girl linked to a love marriage. The victims -- Azam and Zulfiqar -- lodged a case of their sister's kidnap. From the very first day, the mother of the slain brothers had accused Ajmal of involvement in the murder of her children.

Police investigations revealed that Ajmal, who was in touch with the accused of the case, called the victims to Saddar police station at night and demanded a Rs60,000 bribe to hand over mobile phones and other items seized during the kidnapping case. Both the brothers requested the IO to meet in daylight.

Ajmal, however, insisted the complainants to visit the former at the police station at night to take back their belongings and also ensure their safe return to their home.

On the day of the incident, Azam and Zulfiqar reached Saddar police station on a rickshaw. The IO allegedly demanded another Rs100,000 as a bribe and later sent the victims in the company of a policeman for home drop.

The cop left the victims on Chappar Road and returned to the police station. The accused of the kidnapping case, who were hiding in ambushes nearby, saw the rickshaw the victims were riding and started a chase in a car and a motorcycle.

After noticing the suspected chase, the rickshaw driver accelerated the three-wheeler but failed to maintain distance. The suspects forced the rickshaw to stop and opened fire on both the brothers, killing them on the spot.

After the registration of a case and forensic processes, the investigation police team started arresting the accused nominated by the family.

The police arrested two of the six suspects. During the investigation, the accused confessed to the murders' planning. The police arrested Qazi Ajmal in the light of statements of the arrested accused.