Eight days after the mishap the case of Muhammad Lateef, 60, found hung at his flat in Park Lane Plaza is still a mystery to Investigation Police. Cantonment police investigators are yet to have completed investigations; however, they believe that the deceased committed suicide due after being disheartened due over outstanding property disputes. Cantonment Division SP (Investigation) says a detailed autopsy report will confirm whether the deceased was murdered or committed suicide.
Muhammad Lateef, a resident of Nawabpura Harbanspura, was a retired PTCL employee and was working as a driver to Shaukat Fareed, who is settled abroad but owns a flat in Park Lane Plaza. Police said the deceased’s responsibilities included looking after the flat. On April 28, Lateef left his house at about 9 am for the flat but never returned home over which Lateef’s son Muhammad Asif started a search for him. He reached Park Lane Plaza and requested that the administration check the flat.
The flat was opened with a duplicate key, whence they found Lateef dead. One of those present, Amjad Badr, informed local police immediately, who reached the scene and removed the deceased’s body to morgue for autopsy. Sarwar Road Police Station Investigations Wing sources told Pakistan Today that policemen collected circumstantial evidence at the scene. They further obtained CCTV footage, which revealed that the deceased had entered the plaza and flat alone carrying a telephone wire.
Sarwar Road Police registered murder case 63/11 on the complaint of deceased’s son Muhammad Asif to be able to obtain the deceased’s autopsy. Sources confirmed the autopsy report stated deceased died after his respiration was intercepted due to a neck break. Speaking to Pakistan Today on anonymity, investigators revealed that the deceased’s family told them that Lateef had been worried over some property disputes. Investigators said Lateef belonged to Tilla Ganj Chakwal where he owned a 5 acre piece of ancestral land.
They said that the deceased had been trying to transfer the land to his son but the department concerned had refused claiming his son’s birth place did not match his birth place. They said that the deceased had initially attempted suicide the same day at Shaukat Fareed’s brother’s residence on Sarwar Road. He said that Lateef had been restrained then but took the step when he reached Shaukat Fareed’s flat. SP Investigation Syed Ameen Bukhari told Pakistan Today the murder case was registered on the wish of police and not the deceased’s family.
He said police wanted to see the autopsy report. He said his subordinates had completed investigations but were waiting for the detailed autopsy report which included chemical examinations. However, Bukhari confirmed the theory that it appeared a suicide case rather than a murder case. Upon trying to contact the deceased’s family, it was learnt that the family had moved back to their native village (Chakwal) for Lateef’s funeral. The deceased family is expected to return on Monday.
