LARKANA: The court of the first additional sessions judge on Thursday ordered police authorities to register FIR against a former SHO, two constables and two civilians on charges of beating to death in lockup on Oct 28 a suspect held over a complaint of ‘pigeon theft’ and attempting to make his death appear suicide.

The judge Rashid Ali Dayo, who is also ex-officio justice of peace, passed the order for registering the FIR against the former SHO of Waleed police station Abdul Razzak Taggar, constables Hubdar Chandio, Ali Hassan Kaheri and his sons Shahjehan, Rabel Kaheri and two unidentified civilians.

Saeed Ahmed Solangi, father of 22-year-old victim Sahil Solangi, who had moved the court against the police officials and others, said that police picked up his son on Oct 26 and he lodged a non-cognisable report at the Waleed police station on Oct 27 but the following day on Oct 28, a police constable Tufail Umrani informed the family that Sahil had died by suicide in the lockup and his body was lying at Chandka Medical College Hospital.

The parents and relatives of the victim had rejected the police claims and staged a sit-in in protest demanding registration of the FIR against the police officials and their civilian accomplices, who were allegedly involved in torturing Sahil to death. Police registered a bogus FIR afterwards on a complaint lodged by Ali Hassan Kaheri accusing the victim of stealing his pigeons, they alleged.

In the meantime, Sindh IGP formed a three-member fact-finding committee headed by DIG (training) Faizullah Korejo, who visited Larkana and recorded statements of the victim’s relatives and others.

Before the committee’s arrival, Larkana SSP Dr Mir Rohal Khan Khoso suspended the SHO, writing head constable and a constable. However, police had not yet disclosed reports of the victim’s post mortem and the fact-finding committee and its recommendations.

The victim’s heirs demanded immediate release of the reports and arrest of the accused nominated in the proposed FIR.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2024