KARACHI – Risala Police Station turned into a scene of commotion on Saturday as charged relatives and friends of a 24-year-old alleged bandit, Imran Baloch, staged a demonstration outside the police station over his death inside a lock-up on Friday.
The heirs of the victim placed his coffin outside the Risala Police Station, and raised slogans against “police brutality.” Some enraged protestors also broke flowerpots placed inside the premises of the police station.
Imran’s death remains shrouded in mystery, however, with the family alleging that the police killed him over his refusal to pay bribe. On the other hand, the police claimed that the man committed suicide by hanging himself inside the lockup. Medico-legal formalities were delayed due to doctors tending to Ashura mourners, but a report is expected on Sunday.
Risala Senior Investigation Officer (SIO) Inspector Nazeer told Pakistan Today that the police had arrested Imran, son of Abdul Rehman Baloch, on Wednesday from James Terrace Road. Imran was trying to snatch a mobile phone from a man named Humayun Mushtaq, but he was overpowered by Mushtaq and his friends.
Mushtaq and his friends subsequently informed the police that they had caught a thief, and the police rushed to the scene to arrest Imran. An FIR (387/10) was lodged under Section 382 of the Pakistan Penal Code against the accused, and he was presented on Friday before a district court for the police to obtain physical remand.
Things took a turn for the worse by Friday afternoon. According to the SIO, only three cops were present inside the police station as the majority of the Risala staff was on Ashura procession duty. The officers on duty provided lunch to Imran around 2.30 pm, but when some relatives of the accused came to visit him around 4 pm, they discovered Imran handing from the hanging from the exhaust window.
The body was shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), but medico-legal formalities could not be completed as all doctors were busy tending to Ashura mourners. The body was then shifted to Edhi Morgue. Medico-legal formalities were finally carried out on Saturday under the supervision of MLO Qarar Abbasi.
The victim’s elder brother, Amir, told Pakistan Today that Imran was riding a bicycle when the police intercepted him and took him into custody. He alleged that the police demanded Rs 30,000 to release him, and another Rs 10,000 to not beat him up during custody.
“When we visited the police station on Friday to meet Imran, we found him hanging in the bathroom of lockup. We are sure that Imran died due to police torture,” Amir said.
The funeral prayer of the victim was offered on Saturday, and he was laid to rest in the Mewahshah Graveyard. Imran was third among six siblings, and was a resident of Sheedi Arabi Masjid area, Yousuf Haroon Road Baghdadi. Inspector Nazeer claimed that the accused had also been arrested by the Kharadar Police Station two months ago for possessing illegal weapons, and an FIR (673/10) was registered under Section 382.
Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza took serious notice of the incident, and has directed the CCPO to form a committee comprised of “police officers with good reputation” to probe the matter. He said that strict action would be taken against those found guilty.
