HYDERABAD, July 18: Blood samples of late Rasool Bux Brohi and her mother, Ms Pathani, have reportedly been obtained by police authorities in Karachi for a DNA test to verify his family’s claim that he was a farmer and not the notorious and hardened criminal Mashooq Brohi, as claimed by the Lyari Task Force (LTF) which had gunned down Rasool Bux Brohi, 35, in an encounter.

The whereabouts of the deceased’s first cousin Siddique, son of Ibrahim Brohi, and one Nizam Khaskheli, who were picked up along with Rasool Bux by the LTF, remained unknown.

Inquiries with the deceased’s family and police sources conducted by Dawn on Tuesday revealed that till his death, Rasool Bux Brohi, son of Ismail Brohi, had been striving hard to ensure that his father is released on bail in murder case, lodged against Ismail, his brother Ibrahim and Rasool Bux’s brother, Noor Hassan.

The case was lodged with the Husri police following an armed clash between two groups in 2002 leading to murder of two sons of one Vikio Brohi.

“Findings of the inquiry are linked with the report of the DNA test, the evidence, including statements of the deceased’s family members and resident of the Qadan Shoro village supports claim of the deceased’s family that Rasool Bux Brohi is not Mashooq Brohi and was innocent,” said a police source from Karachi.

He added the body of the deceased was being handed over to Jamshoro DPO Fareed Jan Sarhandi, also a member of the team, for burial as “amanat” in the Qadan Shoro village located in the jurisdiction of the Kotri Site police post, under directives of additional IG of Sindh Tariq Jamil, who heads the inquiry team with DIG operation Mushtaq Shah, DIG investigations-II Mir Zubair Mehmood and TPO Shahra-i-Faisal Sultan Khawja.

A pall of gloom hung over the village as members of the Brohi community and other residents gathered outside the residence of the deceased’s paternal uncle.

Everyone could hear painful wails of women inside the home.

Hashim Brohi, paternal uncle of the deceased Rasool Bux Brohi, had gone to receive the body of his nephew along with Ms Pathani and other relatives.

They were returning to Kotri with the body when this report was being filed. Other relatives were present in village.

Brohi, a hari, who has left behind his wife and five sons and a daughter, had been working on agricultural land of one Mr.Memon in Chathha goth near Hub.

In 80s, he had settled with his family in Qadan Shoro village and then left for Habib farm in 2002 and finally shifted to Chathha village, Hub, three years back.

His relatives said that he obtained five days leave from his kamdar, Abdul Rehman Chandio, who appeared before the inquiry committee, on July 7, promising to return on July 12 after arranging surety amount for his father, confined in central prison along with his brother and son.

One Khadim Brohi had assured Rasool Bux Brohi that he would arrange surety for his father, therefore, he should visit him in Sakrand and Brohi then went to meet Khadim along with Siddiqui Brohi on July 8.

Rasool Bux arrived there on July 6 and reportedly stayed with one Ghulam Qadir Brohi in Sakrand.

“Khadim Brohi sent off Rasool Bux, Siddique and one Nizam Khaskheli in a Hyderabad-bound bus from Sakrand.

When the bus reached Sabho Rahu stop, policemen in civvies who were waiting in a white coloured car and a white coloured mobile made disembarked and waylaid them”, said a police source.

He said that one Sahib Chandio, who too had boarded the bus from Sakrand, on his return, told Ghulam Qadir that his acquaintances had been picked up by police.