Man fails to duck in time, dies in crossfire

Amjad Bhurgari's relatives stage a sit-in along with the dead body outside the SSP's office.

HYDERABAD: A man was shot dead as the police opened fire on suspected muggers who were robbing the deceased near Hyderabad railway station on Thursday night.

Amjad Bhurgari, 35, and his friend Aqeel Samo were travelling on a motorcycle when they were intercepted by the robbers within the limits of the Fort police station.

"They were robbing us when two policemen on motorcycle patrol saw the hold-up and began shooting at the robbers," said Samo, who survived the shooting. He claimed that his friend was killed by the bullet fired by the police. According to Samo, they were going to buy medicines for Bhurgari's wife when the incident occured.

"As soon as the police began shooting, the robbers and I ducked for cover and we crouched on the road but my friend couldn't dodge the bullets in time since he was still sitting on the bike," said Samo. Bhurgari, who was a car dealer residing in the Tando Agha area, was shot in the head. Bhurgari's family staged a sit-in along with the dead body till late midnight outside the SSP's office to protest the killing.

The family accused the police for his death. "There was no reason to open fire this way. The police could have easily caught the suspects without shooting," said Javed Bhurgari, a relative of the deceased. The protesters demanded punishment of the two police constables, Ghulam Muhammad and Naeem Akhtar, and removal of the SSP Hyderabad Pir Farid Jan Sarhindi accusing him of killing and injuring suspects in police encounters.

Fort police station SHO Tahir Mughal said that the two constables have been suspended but refused to give a statement on the shooting. Mughal said an inquiry will be conducted by a police official to ensure transparency.

He told The Express Tribune that they are awaiting the post-mortem report to find out about the bore of the bullet that killed Bhurgari. According to him, the policemen were armed with SMGs while the robbers fired shots from their pistols.

The police have yet to identify the suspected robbers who fled from the scene and are still at large. The police sources claim that Bhurgari was killed by the robbers.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2014.