Murder of journalist Ajay Lalwani: Police declare ex-chairman UC, ex-SHO as accused

KARACHI: The Sindh Police have declared the former chairman and vice-chairman of Union Council Salehpat, Syed Inayat Shah and Ihsan Shah, and Ashiq Mirani, former Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station Salehpat, district Sukkur, as accused in an interim challan of the murder case of journalist Ajay Lalwani.

SSP Kandhkot-Kashmore Amjad Shaikh, the newly-appointed Investigation Officer of journalist Ajay Lalwani murder case, submitted an interim charge sheet, which also included the section of the Anti-Terrorism (7-ATA) in a local court of Sukkur.

Journalist Lalwani, a local journalist of Salehpat Town of district Sukkur associated with a local Sindhi newspaper, received three bullets by some unknown assailants and succumbed to his injuries on the next day (March 18, 2021) while being treated at the Civil Hospital, Sukkur

All the three accused persons — former chairman, vice chairman Inayat Shah and Ihsan Shah and SHO Ashiq Mirani — are still at large.

Dilip Kumar, father of Ajay Lalwani, told The News that he was satisfied with the progress of the case and the new IO of the case SSP Amjad Shaikh did a great job by including the names of influential persons as accused persons in the murder case but their names should not be removed from the final challan.

The IO of the case, SSP Amjad Shaikh, told The News that keeping in the view the sensitivity of the case and nature of the crime, a section of the Anti-Terrorism Act has been included and the case would be concluded purely on merit and according to the law and no person would be spared due to any kind of influence.

Earlier, on March 28, 2021, the Sukkur Police claimed to have solved the murder case of Ajay Lalwani and showed four suspects Raza Shah, Jamil Shah, Akbar Mangrio and Janib Mirani besides recovery of the murder weapon.

The relatives of Lalwani showed their disappointment in the Sukkur Police’s claim, demanding the arrest of the mastermind.On April 1, 2021, Dilip Kumar, father of murdered journalist Lalwani, and Advocate Heera Nanad, uncle of Lalwani, met with senior police officials at the Central Police Office (CPO), Karachi, and submitted a written request for the transfer of the case from Sukkur.