Asif was a labourer. Before he was killed he was taking mud from a watercourse in Piran Ji Nali, near Kachelo’s autaq (drawing room) on Sunday. There were other workers there but when Kachelo and his guards reached the site and made inquiries, two men managed to escape and Masih was detained. Masih’s parents claim that he was taken to Kachelo’s autaq, tortured and then shot dead.
The police arrested a guard who was present, Allah Bachayo Khokhar, and took his weapon into custody.
As news of Masih’s alleged killing by a landlord spread, the Christian community blocked Tando Adam Road in protest. They headed to the Taluka Hospital Kot Ghulam Muhammad where the body had been taken by the police for an autopsy. A protest was also held outside the hospital where the family of Masih demanded the registration of an FIR against Kachelo.
According to the medical report, 22-year-old Masih was hit by four bullets, including one to the head. Masih was the eldest son in the family and was scheduled to be married next month.
An FIR was registered by Allah Dita, Masih’s father. Three men, including Kachelo, Khokhar and an unnamed person, were named in the FIR 101/2012 at Kot Ghulam Muhammad police station. According to accounts of the killing, Kachelo was reportedly inebriated at the time of the attack. According to sources, he left Kot Ghulam Muhammad for Karachi soon after. The Christian community blocked the road in Mirpurkhas on Monday with Masih’s body in tow, demanding that Kachelo be arrested immediately. However, they ended their protest after they were offered reassurances by the police. Kot Ghulam Muhammad SHO Inayat Ali Zardari told The Express Tribune that there was no pressure on the police in investigating the case. “We have conducted raids at Faisal Kachelo’s houses in Hyderabad and Karachi. We will trace him soon and bring the culprits to justice,” he said.
However, SHO Zardari contradicted Allah Dita’s account of the murder. He said Shera Masih’s body was recovered near a tractor trolley. He said that there was no other reason to kill Shera but to get mud from the watercourse. There is a sense of anger in the community because Kachelo has not been arrested, and they believe that the police is supporting the landlord since he had not been traced days after the alleged murder.
With additional input by GHULAM RASOOL JUNEJO from KOT GHULAM MUHAMMAD
Published in The Express Tribune, July 12th, 2012.
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