‘Custodial’ killing: Comments sought on death of Lyari youth

Petitioner alleges that Rangers personnel took his son into custody, kept him at an undisclosed location.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) called for comments on Friday from federal and provincial authorities on a petition seeking the registration of a case against the death of a Lyari youth after his alleged torture in the custody of Rangers personnel. Syed Akhtar Shah, a resident of Lyari, had taken the interior secretary, the provincial home secretary, the provincial chiefs of police and Rangers and others to court over the killing of his son. The petitioner alleged that Rangers personnel took his son, Kamran Shah, into custody in the Urdu Bazaar area of Sher Shah on March 13, and kept him at an undisclosed location. During the detention, he was subjected to severe torture and then handed over to the Mochko police. The police later told that Kamran was killed in an alleged encounter. The petitioner pleaded the court to order the Sindh IG police to initiate a fair investigation into the killing of his son and register a case against the Rangers wing commander. Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, who headed the bench, issued notices to the respondents for April 11.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2014.