KARACHI, April 4: Even as a coalition of people pressed for an investigation into the violence suffered by Dr Riaz Ahmed allegedly at the hands of Rangers personnel at the University of Karachi on March 31, teachers close to the associate professor of applied chemistry claimed that he was being harassed by the police who, they said, are being pressurised by the Rangers to pursue the case.

“On Thursday, his [Dr Ahmed’s] residence was visited by the police but he was not at home,” they told Dawn.

Dr Ahmed was reportedly beaten by two Rangers officials as he tried to enter the KU campus through the Silver Jubilee Gate on March 31. On April 2, Havaldar Anwarul Haq of the Sindh Rangers lodged FIR No 73/2008 under Sections 337-F(iv) (intentionally causing injury which leaves a bone exposed, a non-bailable offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment), 353 (assault or using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty), 332 (causing hurt, including pain, injury, disability or dismemberment of an organ) and 186 (obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions)of the Pakistan Penal Code against the professor at the Mobina Town police station.

The general secretary of the Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts), Dr Abid Hasnain, told Dawn that after the incident, the Rangers had stated that they had detained the two officials involved in the violence. “The next day, however, they twisted the facts around and the Rangers’ spokesperson denied any wrongdoing altogether,” he said, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the FIR lodged by the Rangers.

Asked about his stance over the FIR lodged against Dr Ahmed, SSP Investigations East Dr Amir Shaikh said that he had issued instruction to the policemen under him to refrain from pursuing the case. When his attention was drawn towards the visit made to Dr Ahmed’s house by the police on Thursday night, the SSP checked whether his orders had been followed and then told Dawn that none of his men, who belong to the investigation wing, had been involved. “Those policemen could have been from the operations wing of the police,” said SSP Shaikh. “I would not go after a university professor in such a case.”

Probe into incident demanded

Meanwhile, an open letter by a coalition of people was sent to various offices, including newspapers. It pointed out that the use of force to settle disputes of any kind must be condemned by all members of civil society. “The use of armed guards may be understandable in a bank or a defence establishment,” noted the letter, “but the use of such guards in the fount of civil society, that is the academia, somehow indicated a basic flaw in society. The sooner it is remedied, the better.”