SHC seeks report on whereabouts of missing 10-year-old boy

The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed an investigation officer to submit a report with regard to the whereabouts of a missing 10-year-old boy in a case pertaining to illegal detention.

The direction came on a petition of Sher Bano against the illegal detention of 10-year-old Ghafoor Mallah by the Dhabeji police on April 4.

The petitioner had submitted that the Dhabeji police raided the Mallah community situated near the Qureshi salt and chemical factory in connection with a criminal case registered by their rivals and took custody of six innocent persons, including her 10-year-old nephew along with nominated suspects in the case.

She submitted that the judicial magistrate raided the police station on her complaint and found five persons Uris, Hanif, Bilawal, Amin and Aslam detained there without any case and they were released on the direction of the magistrate but her nephew Ghafoor was still missing.

She said that an additional district and sessions court had also directed the Hyderabad DIG to conduct an inquiry into the police misconduct and take departmental action against police officials involved in illegal confinement.

The Thatta SSP filed comments on the petition denying arrest or detention of the petitioner’s nephew and submitted that the petitioner’s allegations against police were false and the woman had filed the petition to pressurise the police and save her relatives from criminal proceedings pending against them.

The high court expressed dissatisfaction at the police report and directed police to submit a progress report with regard to the whereabouts of the boy and produce him on the next hearing.