LARKANA: Three police officials, including SHO, of Lalurounk police station were booked in an FIR on Wednesday on charges of beating a suspect to death in custody.

SSP Muhammad Kaleem Malik suspended SHO Sub-Inspector Masroor Ali Shah, ASI Zaffar Ali Chandio and constable Habibullah Chandio after the registration of FIR against the officials.

Complainant Mohammad Ali Channa, father of the victim Fateh Mohammad Channa, stated in the FIR (No.91/2024) lodged against the police officials under Sections 302 and 34 of PPC that he was informed his son had been arrested on charges of attempting to steal a motorcycle owned by Dur Mohammad Mugheri. Subsequently, an FIR (No.90.2024) was registered against his son at Lalurounk police station under Sections 381-A, 511, 34 PPC on Sept 30, he said.

“We were trying to get him free but in the meantime we learnt that the SHO, ASI and constable (nominated in the FIR) had beaten him to death with sticks while in police custody,” he said.

He said that he and his relatives gathered outside the police station and demanded police hand them over the dead body but no official gave them a satisfactory answer.

Later, it was learnt that the victim’s body was lying in Warah taluka hospital.

“We rushed to the hospital and found the body lying there, which they were told was brought by police. Marks of torture were visible on the deceased’s neck, back and left side of the abdomen,” said the father in the FIR.

Qambar-Shahdadkot SSP Mohammad Kaleem Malik visited the police station after being informed about the custodial death of the suspect, and ordered registration of the FIR, said police sources.

Earlier, the SSP had met protesters during their sit-in along with the victim’s body on the Indus Highway at Wagan bypass late on Tuesday night and assured them that police would lodge an FIR against the officials involved in the custodial death of their loved one in order to persuade them to call off the protest, said sources. Only after getting this assurance, the relatives laid the deceased to rest in Aliabad Channo village.

Meanwhile, Zakir Sandano, a sub-inspector, had been posted as new SHO of Lalurounk police station, said police sources.

Fact finding committee formed

The SSP said in a letter to Inspector General of Police Sindh that a joint fact-finding committee under the supervision of Mirokhan DSP had been constituted to probe the custodial death.

The SSP said quoting in-charge of Laulrounk police post that on Tuesday at about 12.00 pm Fateh Mohammad Channa, a resident of Aliabad village, died by suicide in the police lockup.

The suspect had been arrested in the wake of registration of FIR by Dur Mohammad Mugheri, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2024