‘Bullet fired from policeman’s gun killed Dr Aftab Qureshi’

Forensic Science Laboratory in charge submits two-page statement in court.

HYDERABAD: The author of the forensic report in the murder case of neurosurgeon, Dr Aftab Qureshi, told a judicial inquiry on Saturday that a bullet fired by the police killed the doctor.

The Forensic Science Laboratory Hyderabad in charge, Inspector Muhammad Khan Kalhoro, submitted a two-page statement in the court. One of the seven bullets fired from the gun belonging to police constable Asif Nasir of the Anti Violent Crime Cell killed Qureshi, stated Kalhoro.

The forensic officers collected 32 spent shells from the room in the bungalow where Qureshi was kept. The report of the ballistic test established that they were fired from three separate SMGs of 7.62 mm bore.

During the investigation, the forensic police found out the registration details of two guns which were allotted to the police constables. They could not ascertain who was the owner of the third gun whose 19 shells were found from the room.

Qureshi was killed 18 days after his kidnapping, during a raid conducted by Karachi’s Citizen-Police Liaison Committee and Anti Violent Crime Cell, on May 30. ASI Rashid Ali of the cell and the suspected kidnapper, Akhtar Siyal, were also killed.

The judge has so far recorded the statements of the crime cell’s chief Noorul Haq Rind, CPLC Deputy Chief Najeed Danewala, Crime Branch DIG Farhat Junejo, Dr Baldev of Civil Hospital, Ghulam Sarwar Noonari who owns the bungalow where Qureshi was kept, doctors of Liaquat Medical University, former SSP Haseeb Afzal Beg and SHO Bhitai Nagar Muhammad Ali Shah.

The court has summoned the chemical examiners on the next date of hearing on September 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2012.