Police claim arrest of fire brigade officials’ murderer

An investigation team of the Karachi police’s East Range has arrested a dismissed cop for his alleged involvement in the murder of three fire brigade officials in Korangi.

Investigators said the suspect, Bilal Zafar Faruqui, might be linked with a group involved in terrorist activities. Officials said that on October 2, 2022, three officials of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation fire brigade were killed and another wounded after unidentified persons opened fire inside a fire brigade office in the Korangi area of the city.

The fire brigade office was located near Bilal Chowrangi in Korangi within the limits of the Awami Colony police station. The fire brigade officials murdered in the incident were identified as 55-year-old Amir, 40-year-old Mehboob and 30-year-old Irshad.

Officials said that afterwards, East DIG Muqadas Haider took notice of the incident and ordered an investigation to catch the culprits involved in the triple murder. During the course of investigation, the investigation team coordinated with other agencies and also used technical apparatus, including CCTV footage, from which they got effective leads.

They added that the investigation team carried out raids at different locations in District Korangi and managed to apprehend the key suspect and shifted him to the investigation unit.

During the investigation, it was found that the accused was a dismissed cop whose services had been terminated due to negative behaviour. The suspect reportedly told the investigators that he had murdered the three fire officials as he had suspicion that they were involved in the murder of his father a few years before in the Korangi area.

Officials, however, said that the suspect had continuously been changing his statements. They added that earlier in 2011 he had murdered a KMC official in Liaquatabad and was arrested and jailed in the case, but after spending two to three years in prison, he managed to get bail and was later involved in criminal activities again.

Investigations also revealed that several cases of illegal weapons, murder, attempted murder and terrorism had been registered against the man. A case of robbery was registered against him in 2010 within the limits of the Bahadurabad police station.

A case of murder and attempted murder was also registered against the suspect at the Liaquatabad police station. A case of murder and terrorism was registered against the accused at the PIB police station. At the Saddar police station, he was nominated in a case pertaining to possession of illegal weapons. Investigators said that during his imprisonment, he completed his masters degree in international relations from the University of Karachi. Further investigations are under way.

‘Terrorist’ held

Personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Sindh police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested an activist of the banned Sipah-e-Muhammad (SM) allegedly involved in terrorism cases.

The CTD in a statement said that they carried out a raid in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and arrested Syed Nasir Abbas Rizvi. They also seized weapons from his possession.

The suspect was associated with the SM and involved in the target killing of people belonging to rival sects, the CTD said, adding that the arrested man was also involved in attacks on mosques.

According to law enforcers, the arrested man along with his associates had murdered a man, Eijaz, who belonged to a rival group, after abducting him in the Gulberg area. He also allegedly attacked the Tauheed Masjid in Gulberg in which a worshipper was killed and three others injured. Further investigations are under way.