Probe finds Clifton SP responsible for custodial murder

A probe has found Clifton SP Nayyer Ali responsible for the custodial death of a suspect at the Darakhshan police station.

On April 15, suspect Moiz Naseem, who was arrested in an extortion case, was found dead in the lock-up of the Darakhshan police station and an autopsy report revealed that he was beaten to death.

On Tuesday, the investigating officer produced SHO Ali Raza Leghari and head moharrir (clerk) Faisal Leghari before Judicial Magistrate (South) Mazhar Ali upon the expiry of their previous two-day physical remand.

He also brought Sub-Inspector Sanaullah, who had arrested the Naseem, and requested their remand for further investigation. The magistrate handed over the suspects to the investigating officer for two days with a direction to produce them on the completion of their physical remand.

Advocate Salahuddin Panhwar, who represented SHO Ali Raza, didn’t oppose the IO’s plea for remand extension. He stated that his client was innocent and hoped that he would be discharged by the magistrate once an inquiry report of the incident was submitted to the court.

According to an inquiry report compiled by West DIG Irfan Ali Baloch, SP Nayyer Ali was responsible not only for the arrest of Naseem but also taking him out of the police station overnight during which he died. Later, he tried to arrange a postmortem report of the deceased without giving timely information to the senior command, it said.

“This puts responsibility of murder of Moiz on the shoulders of SP Nayyar, who should be included in investigation in the case,” recommended the report. About SHO Ali Raza, it said he failed to inform his seniors about the incident, which resulted in escalation of events that could have been avoided if he had timely communicated to them.

“Moreover, he was not present at the police station; rather, he left for his home instead of probing what was happening at his police station,” it said, concluding: “This makes him liable for departmental action.”

Baloch had been appointed as the inquiry officer of the case by the Karachi additional IG An FIR has been registered at the Sahil police station under sections 302 (murder), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on behalf of the state.