Faisalabad lawyer’s kidnapping, murder case

KARACHI: Some officials of the Sukkur Police and several civilians have been found involved in the kidnapping and murder case of Faisalabad-based advocate Mian Aijaz Arain, while negligence from SSP Sukkur Irfan Sammo, in an official inquiry conducted by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Larkana, was identified. According to the contents of the inquiry report, DIG Irfan Baloch has requested IGP Sindh Mushtaq Mahar for departmental action against DSP Masood Rasool Mahar for his alleged role in the murder of Advocate Mian Aijaz Arain along with Sub-Inspector Bashir Bhayo, Assistant Sub-Inspector Gul Hassan Seelro, two civilians Asad Indhar and his son Adnan Indhar.

Earlier on September 11, 2020, AIGP Sukkur Kamran Fazl had directed DIGP Larkana Irfan Baloch to probe the matter and identify the negligence on the part of the police with recommended action.

The inquiry also showed alleged negligence from SSP Sukkur Irfan Summo and recommended to issue an explanation letter to him. It concluded that the deceased Aijaz Arain was picked up by the Sukkur Police in a false case registered on the compliant of Malik Channa, a police informer, on the instruction of DSP Masood Mahar. The arrested lawyer later died in the illegal custody of local police, while the body was thrown in Punjab. The report also declared the accused policemen ASI Ghulam Mustafa Mirani, constables Dargah Dino, Naseer Ahmed and Sarmad Yaqoob as innocent.

According to the contents of the inquiry report, all the accused officials stated that they were informed by the writer head-constables (WHCs) of their concerned police stations that SSP Sukkur Irfan Sammo had ordered them to proceed to Faisalabad for the arrest of Advocate Mian Aijaz Arain and others but no WHC has admitted the fact in their statements. The report further disclosed that the accused police officials in their statements had said that along with other police officials, they proceeded to Faisalabad in a Sukkur Police mobile, followed by civilians Asad Indhar and his son Adnan Indhar in a private car.

Meanwhile, SSP Sukkur Irfan Sammo and DSP Masood Rasool Mahar were in contact with Asad Indhar, and when the police party reached Faisalabad, DSP Mahar had sent Rs100,000 to Asad Indhar through Easypaisa. By quoting the accused police officials’ statements, it was also stated in the inquiry report that when the Faisalabad Police refused to assist the Sindh Police to arrest the lawyer Mian Aijaz, Asad Indhar arranged four personnel of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), who arrested the lawyer and handed him over to the Sindh Police that brought him to Sukkur.

Two separate cases were registered of the same crime; one on August 19, 2020, at Police Station Madian Town, Faisalabad, on the complaint of deceased lawyer’s wife Aqsa Rasheed against Sukkur Police’s DSP Masood Rasool Mahar, other officials, deceased’s stepmother Shamim Bano and his two stepsisters. While the second case was registered on August 23, 2020 at the Police Station Pano Aqil Cantonment on the compliant of SHO Allah Wadhayo Pitafi against the suspended SHO Bashir Bhayo, two ASIs Gul Hassan Seelro and Ghulam Mustafa Mirani, and constables Yaqoob, Naseer and Dargah Dino.

Sources informed The News that the second case was registered in the Sukkur district on the compliant of SHO Pitafi only to cover up the issue, and to save the involved officials and keep away the accused persons from the Punjab Police's custody. The alleged accused, Bashir Bhayo, Gul Hassan Seelro, Ghulam Mustafa Mirani, Yaqoob, Naseer, and Dargah Dino, were in Sukkur Central Jail on judicial remand, despite the passage of more than a month. The nominated accused of the case, Shamim Bano and his two daughters, Mian Asad Indhar and his son Adnan Indhar, have not been arrested yet.