60-year-old man dead in police raid meant to arrest his son

A 60-year-old man died when a team of Awami Colony police raided his house in 100 Quarters in Korangi late Tuesday night to arrest his son for allegedly being involved in motorbike theft.

Subhan Ali, the acting SP for Landhi Division told The News that a party of Awami Colony police raided the house to arrest Akram Bengali, an alleged motorcycle thief. But Bengali’s father, Farid, tried to intervene and block the police’s path, Ali said.

However, Farid was unable to keep his son from being taken into custody, and the 60-year-old fell to the floor in the ensuing scuffle. Police shifted Bengali to the police station for interrogation, while Farid later died.

“A large number of area residents gathered outside the police station and started protesting, accusing the police of killing an elderly man during the raid at his home,” Ali added. The acting SP claimed that they offered to shift the deceased to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) for an autopsy and to register a case against police, but the protesters refused.

According to Ali, in his statement, Awami Colony police SHO Nasir Mehmood said that they had raided the house in search of Bengali for his alleged involvement in several incidents of motorcycle thefts in the area.

According to Mehmood, Bengali stole motorbikes and took them to his house where he would take them apart and sell the parts. Four bike frames were found in Bengali’s house but police were unable to seize them because his family was showing resistance, Ali added quoting Mehmood.

The official further said that departmental action has been initiated against the officials involved, and six cops, including SHO Mehmood, have been placed under suspension for misuse of powers.

Meanwhile, Korangi SSP Nauman Siddiqui told The News that Farid’s post-mortem was being carried out in JPMC. The report would confirm whether the elderly man was beaten up by police or not. He further said that residents of 100 Quarters pelted stones at the police when they were shifting Bengali to the police mobile. As a result, one policeman sustained injuries.

Taking notice of the death caused allegedly by police torture, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal has ordered DIGP East and District Korangi SSP to conduct an inquiry into the incident to be submitted to him. He has also ordered that the responsible officials be identified, and legal and departmental action be taken against them.

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) AD Khowaja also took notice on the incident and directed the District Korangi SSP to submit a report after identifying policemen involved and taking action against them. The misuse of powers is not intolerable. There is no space of policemen involved in such activities in the police department, he said.