AVCC chief summoned over IO’s failure to submit charge sheet

A court summoned on Tuesday the senior superintendent of police (SSP) of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) over failure of the investigating officer to file a charge sheet in a case pertaining to the escape of the prime suspect in a kidnapping and ransom case.

Zohaib Ali Qureshi, who was allegedly involved in the abduction of Dua Mangi from DHA in November 2019, was brought to the city courts on January 27 in connection with the hearing of his case.

His custody was handed over to court police officers to escort him back to the Karachi central prison. However, one of the cops, Muhammad Naveed, took the suspect to a shopping mall on Tariq Road for shopping, from where he escaped. An FIR was lodged at the Ferozeabad police station.

Judicial Magistrate (East) Sheikh Abbas Mehdi noted that the IO, Inspector Nisar Awan, had failed to furnish the investigation report under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) despite being served with multiple show-cause notices. He directed the AVCC chief to appear in person along with the IO and the report or else legal action would be taken against them.

Qureshi was arrested in June after his escape and is currently in judicial custody, while the police officials nominated in the escape case, including head constable Muhammad Naveed and constables Zafar and Nayab, are out on bail.

Mangi was kidnapped from Defence Housing Authority in Karachi in November 2019. She was released after her father paid Rs500,000 to the kidnappers in ransom.