NAWABSHAH, Aug 22: The main witness in the Rasool Bux Brohi encounter case told the judicial magistrate of Sakrand on Tuesday that suspended SP Chaudhry Aslam had shot at Rasool Bux with a Kalashnikov and later other policemen fired on him killing him on the spot.

Recording his statement, Siddique Brohi, cousin of the victim, said he and Rasool Bux had come to Sakrand on July 10, 2006, to meet their friend Khadim for making arrangements regarding the bail of the father of Rasool Bux and others.

Six accused of the encounter case were brought from the Nawabshah jail to attend the hearing.

Mr Siddique said that in Sakrand, they had received information about the presence there of police informers Nazar alias Nazru Khaskheli and Saheb Khan Chandio. He said Khadim had advised them to go back and they had boarded a bus. However, Mr Siddique said Nazru and Saheb Khan had not been in the bus.

When the bus reached the Mir Leghari bus stop, police officials in civvies arrested and blind-folded them with handkerchiefs and took them to some other place, he said.

The witness said Chaudhry Aslam and others had told him that Rasool Bux was Mashooq Brohi, a dacoit, but he had denied that and Rasool Bux him self had also refused, saying that he was Rasool Bux, son of Mohammad Ismail Brohi.

Mr Siddique said Chaudhry Aslam had removed the nails of two fingers and a toe of Rasool Bux Brohi and the police tortured the two cousins.

After three days, he (Siddique) had been taken to a place where Rasool Bux also had been brought. The witness said Chaudhry Aslam had forced Rasool Bux to accept that he was Mashooq. The suspended SP said if Rasool Bux accepted, he would be sent to jail, but Mr Bux refused.

SP Chaudhry Aslam had shot at him and Rasool Bux with Kalashnikov and later other policemen fired on them killing Rasool Bux on the spot.

However, he (Siddique) was released after some days. The witness told the court that the accused persons had been exerting pressure on him not to record his statement.

The witness said he knew only two police officials i.e., Ishaque Lashari and Ismail Lashari and pointed out Ishaque, who was sitting in the court. Siddique Brohi also recognized another police official inspector Asif Jameel and said that he used to come drunk and torture him.

Suspended SP Chaudhry Aslam’s medical certificate was produced before the judicial magistrate, Mr Sohail Akhtar Mangi. The proceedings were adjourned till Aug 25.

DRUG: The excise police arrested one person and recovered 14kg charas in a raid on a bus (P-6757) on the National Highway near Sakrand on Tuesday. Meem Badshah was arrested and a case was registered against him under the Narcotics Act.

AXED: An elderly woman, Ms Rahiman, 55, was axed to death by her son Ali Raza Chandio over some family dispute in Pardesi colony, Qazi Ahmed, on Tuesday. The Qazi Ahmed police have arrested the accused and registered a case.

RAIN: Rain continued in Nawabshah and adjoining areas on Tuesday. Power supply to various parts of the city, including Society, Mohini Bazaar, Gharibabad, Essarpura and Manuabad remained suspended.

BREACH: Crops of wheat and sugarcane and several houses were inundated when the Doulatpur minor developed a 25-foot breach at the RD-62 near Doulatpur.

The irrigation personnel of the Dad irrigation division plugged the breach with the help of villagers.