SHC orders action against cops for implicating two men in fake encounter case

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday set aside the convictions of two men in a fake encounter case, and directed the SSP of District Malir to initiate departmental proceedings against police personnel who were involved in falsely implicating them in the case.

Mohammad Sohail and Sherullah had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court after they were found guilty of engaging the police in an encounter and possessing an illegal weapon.

According to the prosecution, the appellants along with Abdullah Masood opened fire on a police party on December 21, 2019, to avoid their arrest in the limits of Superhighway SITE Industrial Area Police Station.

The prosecution alleged that a suspect, Abdullah, had been killed in the encounter, while Sohail and Sherullah had been arrested in an injured condition. Sherullah was tried under the juvenile justice system.

The appellants’ counsel submitted that their clients were falsely implicated in the case and they were not involved in firing on the police party as alleged by the prosecution.

A division bench headed by Justice Nazar Akbar, after hearing the arguments of the counsel and the prosecution, observed that prosecution failed to prove charges, including that of firing on the police party against the appellants, and set aside the trial court’s orders. The high court observed that the police encounter seemed to be fake, and directed the Malir SSP to initiate departmental proceedings against the police officials and personnel who were involved in it.