HYDERABAD: Police finally managed to get hold of an apparently mentally-disturbed man after breaking open the door of his apartment in a building near Pakora stop in Qasimabad on Saturday where he was allegedly holding his family members hostage at gunpoint.

The man identified as Dr Ibrahim Almani had opened fire on a teenager, Hasnain Solangi, just two day back on flimsy excuses. The area residents had reported the incident to police but it did not take any action.

Police moved into action after the news flashed on TV channels about Dr Almani’s holding his mother, his minor son and daughter hostage in his house.

Rangers personnel also arrived there as police officials and other people tried to persuade the suspect to come out but he refused.

Finally, CIA in-charge Alam Langah and his men used a big lock cutter to break open the door and arrest him. He was taken to CIA centre along with his son while his mother Ms Khadija and daughter Hafsa were taken away by Dr Raheela, Ibrahim’s sister, who had reached there in the meantime.

Dr Raheela denied his brother was suffering from any mental disorder but admitted he did show aggression sometimes. To the TV reporters who kept pressing the distressed family to talk, she said curtly: “Is this how you deal with people in trauma”.

DSP Sikandar Bhatti said that Dr Almani had not held anybody hostage. He was under stress because his wife had separated from him recently. Besides, he told journalists and other people from inside his flat that his land in Tando Mohammad Khan had been occupied but he did not get justice, said the police official.

He said that a weapon had been found in the suspect’s possession and an FIR would be lodged against him if the teenager’s family asked police about it.

Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo who also arrived there to speak to Dr Ibrahim said that this episode showed the city did not have any experts to deal with such a situation.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2016