Still missing: Family protest ‘arrest’ of young man by Landhi police

SHO suspended but police officials deny arresting the young man.

KARACHI: Landhi police station SHO Saadat Butt was suspended and a case was registered against him for allegedly kidnapping a young man, while an inquiry has also been initiated against him. Meanwhile, the young abductee has yet to be recovered.

Family members of the young man, Fayyaz, along with a score of other people, gathered outside the Landhi police station late on Thursday night and held a protest against the police officials. The family claimed that the Landhi police had abducted him.

"About three days ago, police personnel came to our house and took Fayyaz away with them," said Qasim, the elderly father of Fayyaz. "They [the police] assured us that they will release him after routine questioning, but three days have passed and there is no news about his whereabouts."

The family also claimed that they had made frequent visits to the police station, asking for Fayyaz's release, but their requests were denied. "First they said they are taking him away for questioning, then they demanded the ransom for his release and now they are saying that they did not pick him up," the father narrated. During the overnight protest, they also managed to get inside the police station, beating up a policeman, Imran. The protesters claimed that Imran was one of the policemen who picked Fayyaz up.

Following the protest, an extra contingent of police was called to the site. The police fired in the air in an attempt to disperse the protesters but they continued to shout slogans, demanding Fayyaz's immediate release. Korangi district SSP Junaid Shaikh reached the station and suspended SHO Butt, replacing him with Ahmed Butt. On the orders of SSP Shaikh an FIR, No. 142/15, was also registered against the former SHO for kidnapping the young man.

Despite the registration of the case, the protesters continued to protest, demanding an FIR be registered against the Korangi SP Afnan Amin. The Rangers reached the site and controlled the situation.

"We did not arrest any such person," clarified SP Amin. "There are lots of police stations in the city and lots of police units and law enforcement and intelligence agencies working in the city. If it is true that Fayyaz has been taken into custody, he may have been arrested or taken into custody by any other police station's or unit officer or any other law enforcement or intelligence agency and I am not responsible for them," he said. "We [the Landhi police] did not arrest him," Amin repeated.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2015.