KARACHI: An investigation discovered that Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, the blasphemy suspect in Umerkot, was killed in a “pretend police encounter”, Sindh Residence Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar stated, pledging stern motion towards the police personnel concerned within the incident.
The medical skilled was booked by Umerkot police underneath 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 known as “an encounter”.
Sindhri SHO Niaz Khoso alleged that the physician together with ‘accomplices’ opened hearth 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 family members 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 cops.
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 workforce reviewed the CCTV footages and name information data (CDR) and traced the cellphones.
“Our cops are concerned on this incident […] We’re ordering a registration of first data report towards them,” he famous, including that they’ve apprised the chief minister of this investigation report.
Moreover, he stated, DIP and SSP Mirpurkhas has been suspended and an FIR can be registered towards him. “Not less than six circumstances have been registered up to now […] nobody will likely be spared.”
“We now have additionally briefed his [the suspect] relations on the inquiry being launched into the incident.”
He requested the physician’s relations 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 primarily based 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 duplicate of which is out there with Geo Information, the inquiry committee “unanimously” agreed that “Mirpurkhas police killed him [Dr Shahnawaz] in a managed encounter and tried to offer 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 completely 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 identify to the Sindh Police, in any other case, which holds an impressive historical past concerning sustaining non secular equilibrium all through the province of Sindh in such difficult instances,” it said.
The committee, in its report, really useful that the physician’s relations report a press release and file a primary data report (FIR) for homicide underneath the involved sections of legislation.
It additionally instructed “strict departmental motion” towards police personnel from each Umerkot and Mirpurkhas police who “celebrated” the killing.
Furthermore, the report really useful that the circumstances 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 severely dealt with as per legislation and police guidelines, missing total command and failure to take selections as enumerated in [the] authorized framework of the nation by the officers together with DIG Mirpurkhas, SSP Umarkot, and SSP Mirpurkhas,” the report concluded.
