SHC orders Karachi police chief to appoint honest IO in extrajudicial killing case

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday expressed its dissatisfaction over police investigations in a case pertaining to an extrajudicial killing and directed the Karachi additional IG to appoint an honest officer for conducting investigations into the case in a transparent manner.

Hearing the case with regard to the alleged extrajudicial killing of Abdul Qadir, who had died during police custody of the Landhi and Steel Town police, a single bench of the SHC headed by Justice Omer Sial observed that investigation officers of the case appeared to have conducted a half-hearted and one-sided investigation which was prima facie an extrajudicial killing case.

The high court observed that investigation officers had given a clean chit to all the cops involved in the arrest and subsequent death of Qadir and no explanation had been provided as to the cause of his death.

The bench observed that prima facie, two investigation officers had intentionally tried to cover the lapses of their colleagues. The high court took exception to the conduct of the investigation officers and observed that the IOs ignored the medical report of the deceased who had injuries during the police confinement.

The SHC also observed that despite the fact that police investigation had revealed the registration of a false case against the deceased, police officers involved in the registration of the false case were still performing duties in same police station.

The bench directed the Karachi additional IG to appoint a senior officer of police to look into the matter personally and conduct further investigation to determine the true facts of the case and ensure that perpetrators did not go off scot-free.

The SHC observed that the additional IG might also determine whether the investigation officers concerned were capable enough to be assigned such cases and whether it was appropriate for officers who had admitted to filing a false case to continue working in the same positions without being taken to task or at least facing disciplinary proceedings

The bench directed the Karachi police chief to submit his preliminary report through a deputy prosecutor general by February 22. The complainant, Zeeshan, had alleged in the FIR that the Steel Town and Landhi police unlawfully detained his brother Qadir on October 15, 2019, and later tortured him to death during custody after implicating him in false criminal cases.