- Minister asks suspect’s household to register FIR in opposition to law enforcement officials.
- Mirpurkhas police tried to present “managed encounter” authorized cowl: report.
- Committee suggests “strict departmental motion” in opposition to cops.
KARACHI: Sindh Dwelling Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar on Thursday revealed that an investigation committee concluded that Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, the blasphemy suspect in Umerkot, was killed in staged police encounter as he pledged stern motion in opposition to these accountable within the incident.
The medical skilled was booked by Umerkot police beneath Part 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly sharing ‘blasphemous posts’ on social media.
Dr Kunbhar was taken into “protecting custody” on Sept 18 by the native police. Later, the suspect was transferred to Mirpurkhas however the subsequent day he was shot useless by Sindhri police, what they referred to as “an encounter”.
Sindhri SHO Niaz Khoso alleged that the physician together with ‘accomplices’ opened fireplace at police. In retaliatory motion, the suspect was shot useless whereas his confederate managed to flee, he added. The physician’s physique was handed over to his relations however a mob emerged once more and torched it.
The alleged encounter prompted widespread public outcry, with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah taking discover of the incident and ordering the suspension of the Mirpurkhas DIG, SSP and different law enforcement officials.
Addressing a press convention on Thursday, the Sindh minister stated the investigation committee led by DIG Pervaiz Chandio of Shaheed Benazirabad termed the alleged police encounter pretend.
He stated the Sindh Meeting had demanded the suspension of the cops concerned within the alleged encounter and added that the suspension of a DIG and a SSP amongst different officers and the holding of a probe into the incident is uncommon occasion.
Giving particulars of a 31-page detailed investigation report, Lanjar stated that the probe group reviewed the CCTV footages and name information data (CDR) and traced the cell phones.
“Our law enforcement officials are concerned on this incident […] We’re ordering a registration of first data report in opposition to them,” he famous, including that they’ve apprised the chief minister of this investigation report.
Moreover, he stated, DIP and SSP Mirpurkhas have been suspended and an FIR can be registered in opposition to him. “Not less than six instances have been registered up to now […] nobody might be spared.”
“We now have additionally briefed his [the suspect] members of the family on the inquiry being launched into the incident.”
He requested the physician’s members of the family to register a case, saying: “If the household refuses to file FIR, then the state will.”
“Investigation was underway whether or not Dr Shahnawaz was harmless or not,” the provincial minister stated, including the inquiry report was based mostly on the encounter itself, not whether or not the deceased had dedicated blasphemy.
Lanjar added that the inquiry committee was constituted for a “disciplinary investigation”, including: “We now have appointed a brand new DIG and the committee investigating the FIRs will comprise two SSPs from Umerkot and Shaheed Benazirabad.”
Following the investigation, Lanjar stated, CM Murad will announce a compensation for the suspect’s household. “No extrajudicial incident is tolerable,” he concluded.
‘Investigation report’
Based on the investigation report — a replica of which is accessible with Geo Information, the inquiry committee “unanimously” agreed that “Mirpurkhas police killed him [Dr Shahnawaz] in a managed encounter and tried to present it a authorized cowl however failed”.
The committee analysed the CCTV footages, police paperwork, social media content material, CDRs, Tracker information and “secret data collected from totally different sources”.
It famous that Umerkot police took the suspect into custody from Karachi, earlier than transferring him to the custody of Mirpurkhas police.
“This unlawful motion of police officers introduced very unhealthy title to the Sindh Police, in any other case, which holds an excellent historical past concerning sustaining spiritual equilibrium all through the province of Sindh in such difficult instances,” it said.
The committee, in its report, advisable that the physician’s members of the family document a press release and file a primary data report (FIR) for homicide beneath the involved sections of legislation.
It additionally urged “strict departmental motion” in opposition to police personnel from each Umerkot and Mirpurkhas police who “celebrated” the killing.
Furthermore, the report advisable that the instances be performed by a senior officer, not under the rank of superintendent of police (SP), and ideally by the Counterterrorism Division (CTD) or crime department.
“The entire episode was not significantly dealt with as per legislation and police guidelines, missing total command and failure to take choices as enumerated in [the] authorized framework of the nation by the officers together with DIG Mirpurkhas, SSP Umarkot, and SSP Mirpurkhas,” the report concluded.