Unknown motives: Police register FIR of JPMC MLO’s target killing

Investigators waiting to record statement of family members.

KARACHI:

The police have registered the case of the targeted killing of a medico-legal officer of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Wednesday.

Dr Manzoor Memon, 50, was on his way to his house in Badar Commercial, DHA, in his black Toyota Corolla with his driver, Ashiq Hussain, when at least four men on two motorcycles opened fire at the car near Delhi Colony. Memon and Ali were shot multiple times and died on the spot.

On Wednesday, Frere police registered an FIR No. 125/14 on behalf of Dr Memon’s brother, Shafiq Memon. The case was registered against unidentified persons.

Though the police have registered the case but the investigators have yet to record the statements of the deceased doctor’s family members and colleagues as well to ascertain the motive behind the incident.

Some 20 days before the incident, Memon had, however, submitted an application at the Darakshan police station claiming that some men were driving around his house and monitoring his movement. The police investigators failed, however, to trace those suspects.

“Dr Memon did not mention in the application whether these suspects intended to threaten or kill him,” pointed out ASP Shehla Qureshi, while talking to The Express Tribune. Dr Memon had mentioned a licence plate number in his application, she added. “We checked the number and it is registered to a person living in the Qasimabad area of Hyderabad.”

The Karachi police will also approach the Hyderabad police to trace and arrest the suspects, adding that the statements of the victim’s wife and a daughter are also important, said ASP Qureshi. On the day of the killing, they mentioned some threats that the doctor had received, she added.

“Our investigations are still where they were yesterday,” admitted the investigating officer of the case, Inspector Nazeer Hussain. “Until we record the statements of the family and the colleagues, there will be no breakthrough in the case.”

The police officials had recovered at least 14 empty shells of the 9mm pistols from the crime scene and are now waiting for the forensic report.

Laid to rest

Meanwhile, the deceased doctor was laid to rest at DHA graveyard on Wednesday noon after his funeral prayers were offered at Mubarak Masjid. Several family members, relatives and colleagues were present at the funeral.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2014.