Voicing concerns: Mother of accused judge claims police biased against him

Says officials are using the case to take revenge.

KARACHI:

The family members of the accused district and sessions judge, Sikandar Lashari, who is in police custody for the last two months, have prayed the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court take notice of the involvement of senior police officials in the case. They have also appealed to the court to move Lashari to judicial custody.

Addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Thursday, Lashari’s mother, Ruqiyat, also claimed that the judge’s daughter, Keenjhar, was in danger as the police wanted to take her into custody.

Lashari is implicated for his alleged involvement in the murder of Aqib Hussain Shahani, the son of a district and sessions judge, Khalid Hussain Shahani. Aqib was murdered in Hyderabad on February 19.

“My son is innocent,” Ruqiyat stressed during the press conference. “The inquiry should be conducted by senior and honest police officials and the killers should be brought to justice.” She alleged that Hyderabad SSP Pir Fareed Jan Sarhandi had arrested Lashari in a fake murder case, adding that the police had even tortured her son.

Lashari’s mother informed the media that police had registered two other fake cases recently — one for the possession of illegal weapon and the other for a stolen vehicle. “How can a sitting judge snatch a vehicle?” she questioned. “My son’s life is in danger.”

Ruqiyat revealed that Khalid Hussain Shahani was a relative of Hyderabad DIG Sanaullah Lashari. She added that SSP Sarhandi was handcuffed on the orders of his son when both were posted in Kotri. “Sarhandi wants to take revenge of the insult,” she claimed. “The police are biased and it is not possible to expect justice from such officials who are involved in the case personally.”

Ruqiyat said that the police were constantly harassing the family members. “The police want Keenjhar’s custody but we don’t trust them. She is safer with her mother.” She said that the family was ready to cooperate in the murder case of Aqib Shahani.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2014.