SHC dismisses cop’s appeal in colleague’s murder case

The Sindh High Court has dismissed the appeal of a policeman against his conviction for murdering his colleague, an under-training policeman.

Manzoor Ali was sentenced to life imprisonment by an additional district and sessions court for murdering his colleague police constable, also named Manzoor Ali, in Awami Colony on June 4, 2019.

According to the prosecution, the appellant was assigned security duty with Manzoor outside a mosque during the Traveh prayers, and there was a squabble between the two in which the appellant shot and killed Manzoor with his official weapon. A passerby, Nehan Mirza, was also injured in the firing.

The appellant’s counsel claimed that the prosecution failed to produce any eyewitness, and alleged witnesses did not confirm whether the cop was alive or dead after the shooting, whether he was shot from the back or front and whether he was taken to hospital in an ambulance or in other vehicle.

He said the scene of the incident was doubtful as well as the recovery of the crime weapon. He argued that recovered empty which matched the crime weapon was also foisted upon the appellant. He submitted that the appellant was not present at the crime scene and all evidence against him was manipulated and false.

The additional prosecutor general and the complainant’s counsel submitted that ocular, medical and ballistic reports had supported the prosecution version; besides, the two eyewitnesses were also posted at nearby places and they had no reason to give a false testimony.

A single bench, headed by Justice Omar Sial, observed that two witnesses had explained very well how they were present at the scene. The court observed that it was not a case of misidentification as all the boys were from the same district and had all come together for the purpose of training and no mala fide was attributed to the two eyewitnesses.

The court observed that there was no substance in the appellant counsel’s arguments that the weapon recovered from the scene was actually that of the deceased and not that of the appellant. It said there was strong evidence against the appellant and after a re-appraisal of evidence it found no reason to interfere with the judgment of the trial court and dismissed the appeal.