FIR registration in domestic cases now needs SSP’s permission

KARACHI: In view of the issues faced by the people at police stations in domestic cases, the Sindh police chief has ordered that no law enforcement official can now register an FIR in such cases without first getting the approval from their superiors.

According to observers, it has been a practice at police stations in interior Sindh and in Karachi, whereby the police detain or arrest people who are charged under domestic or personal issues, and the investigators twist the facts due to ulterior motives, taking the focus away from heinous and other important criminal cases.

In this regard, a letter has been moved from the office of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Kaleem Imam to the additional IGP of the Karachi Range, the deputy inspectors general (DIGs) of the Sukkur, Larkana, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas ranges, and other ranges of the Karachi police.

The subject of the letter reads “Money matters of civil nature”, and in the letter the police chief says: “It has been observed by the high command that money matters of purely civil nature are brought within the ambit of criminal law by twisting the facts.

“Police take immediate cognisance and arrest the nominated accused without collecting sufficient evidence. Unfortunately, this all is reportedly done with ulterior motives. Moreover, the registration and investigation of these cases take away the focus from heinous and other important crime prevention and detection. It brings bad name to the police force.

“In this regard, all range/zonal DIGs shall ensure that cases under sections 406, 409, 420, 506-6, 511, 489-F, 365-B and 496-A of the Pakistan Penal Code are registered after seeking permission of the relevant senior superintendents of the police [SSPs], who shall first verify the facts and issue orders for the registration of FIRs.

“The relevant SSPs will ensure the investigations of the cases purely on merit and arrest of the accused will be made after collecting sufficient evidence. Compliance should be ensured in letter and spirit.”

Man stabbed to death

A man was stabbed to death in the Quaidabad area on Sunday apparently over a personal enmity. Police officials said the incident took place in the Muslimabad area of Quaidabad in District Malir of Karachi.

The deceased was identified as Muhammad Nabi. The body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities and later handed over to the family for burial. Reacting to the information, a heavy contingent of law enforcers, including the police and the Rangers, reached the site to investigate the killing.

According to police officials, the killing was apparently the result of a personal enmity. The officials said they had identified the two victims who stabbed and killed the victim and efforts were being made to arrest them.

Body found

The dead body of a man in his 50s was found near the Malir River on Sunday. The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Korangi Industrial Area.

According to the police officials investigating the matter, the man’s body was found near the Malir River by some locals, who then informed the police about it. Taking action on the information received from the residents of the area, police officials reached the site and then took the body to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre so that a post-mortem examination could be conducted on it.

SHO Aurangzaib Khattak said that the deceased, according to the documents found in his pocket, was identified as 55-year-old Naseem Ismail and he hailed from Dera Ismail Khan in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The officer said that the body of the deceased was apparently 10 days old and bore scars on the head, adding that it was yet to be ascertained either the victim was killed with a sharp object or shot dead. A case has been registered, while the police are looking for his family.