Murder in the market: Three policemen arrested for alleged extrajudicial killing

Zaibur Rahman was shot while on the way to a cattle market.

KARACHI: The death of a 32-year-old man on the Super Highway has resulted in three police officers being arrested over their alleged involvement, but the main suspect has escaped.

Zaibur Rahman, 32, was en route to the cattle market on Super Highway along with his family members. They were stopped near the market by four constables of the Sohrab Goth Industrial Area police post and he was allegedly shot at by the police.

Rahman was injured but died while on the way to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. His family then went to the Sohrab Goth Industrial Area police post and protested and demanded that the policemen responsible be arrested. But there was no one to listen to their complaints, so the protesters went to the Sohrab Goth police station and made their demands. Gadap Town SP Jan Mohammad and DSP Qamar Ahmed also arrived at the police station.

After recording the protesters’ statement, they ordered that a case be registered against the policemen responsible and that they be arrested.

According to the family, the police opened fire when they refused to pay money for entering the market.

At first, the police tried to explain the incident that Rahman was a robber who was killed after he did not stop his vehicle when asked to do so by the police, and was shot at in the ensuing exchange of fire.

However, the family says that police opened fire when they refused to pay money to enter the cattle market. “We were stopped as we were entering the market and asked to pay Rs100,” said Dilawar Khan, the victim’s brother. “We were in conversation when they asked us to move our Suzuki vehicle to one side. The driver was trying to park it and the police fired.”

Rahman is survived by three children. He was employed at a factory in SITE and lived in Frontier Colony.

Police officials said that they have registered the FIR No. 766/12 under section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code based on Dilawar Khan’s complaint and started the investigation.

DSP Qamar Ahmed said that the police have also recorded the statements of the witnesses which suggest that the policemen were responsible for the attack. Three policemen, Asif, Atta and Sarfaraz, have been arrested. However Hungoor Khan, the prime suspect who reportedly opened fire and killed Rahman, managed to escape after submitting his official weapon to the police post. Raids are being carried out to arrest him.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2012.