Ajmal Baig’s death: Family approaches court for compensation, FIR against LEAs

The Lawyers submitted that the Rangers personnel had taken away Ajmal while he was offering Maghrib prayers

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court has called the order supposedly passed by the provincial chief justice regarding the payment of compensation to the legal heirs of MQM’s deceased worker, Ajmal Baig, by July 5.

Headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, the bench called a copy of such order while hearing a petition seeking the payment of compensation.

His brother, Afzal Baig, had gone to the court claiming compensation for the victim and also seeking direction for registration of his death case against the police and Rangers officials.

His lawyers, Nawab Mirza and Farkhunda Jabeen, submitted that the Rangers personnel had taken away Ajmal while he was offering Maghrib prayers at the Hanifa Masjid in City Station Railway Colony on May 18.

The detainee was handed over to the Mochkoh police in injured condition, who produced him in the court of concerned judicial magistrate on May 21 but failed to provide him medical assistance due to which he died.

The lawyers pleaded to the court to direct the police high-ups to register a case of Ajmal’s death against the police and Rangers officials responsible for the death.

The court was also requested to order the provincial government to pay Rs2.5 million as compensation to the victim’s family in addition to Rs25,000 per month each to his widow and daughters.

On Friday, the lawyer claimed that while deciding a similar petition, another bench headed by CJ Mushir Alam had passed orders for payment of compensation to the victim’s heirs in addition to registration of case against the law enforcers.

The two-judges directed the lawyer to place on court’s record the copies of such order and adjourned hearing till July 5 on the lawyer’s request.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2013.