Shoot out: Family protest killing in ‘police encounter’

They say that victim was taken to a field near his house and shot.

BAHAWALPUR:

The family of a man who was killed in what police called an encounter with armed criminals near Chowk Bahadur, Rahim Yar Khan, claimed that the encounter was fake and staged a protest demonstration in front of the press club on Friday.

On Thursday, Iqbal Abad police had killed Riaz Gopang, resident of Basti Lankrah, who had allegedly stolen a motorcycle and tried to flee. Police said that he was killed in a shootout.

When Gopang’s body was handed over to his family on Friday after a post mortem, they placed it in front of the press club and burnt tyres on the National Highway.

They claimed that the encounter had been staged. Police used tear gas against the protesters who retaliated by throwing stones at the policemen. A policeman was injured.

Gopang’s family requested the Supreme Court to take notice of the incident and order an investigation. They said that they would go to every forum to get justice.

Riaz Gopang’s brother Muhammad Hussain Gopang told media that on Thursday, some policemen dressed in civilian clothes had come to their house and taken his brother with them.

Hussain Gopang said that he followed them to a cotton field near their house and saw a police vehicle drive up to the field.

He said that he saw them shoot his brother and take away his body.

“My brother was not a wanted criminal,” Hussain Gopang said, “A few months ago, Kabeer Shah, a resident of Wali Shah Muhammad, had accused him of firing at his house but a court had granted Riaz bail.”

The Rahim Yar Khan district police officer told The Express Tribune that Riaz Gopang had criminal record and was wanted in many cases at police stations across the district. He had shot at the police when they tried to stop him and died during the shootout, the DPO said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2013.