A court here Monday recorded the statement of the landlord who had rented his house to the suspected kidnappers of neurosurgeon Dr Aftab Ahmed Qureshi in Abdullah Valley area of Qasimabad.
Ghulam Sarwar Noonari, the landlord, recorded the statement in the the Civil Court 9, under section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C). According to the police sources, Noonari told the court that 5 persons including Dr Ashok Kumar, Zain Jatyal, Ghulam Ali Khoso, Akhtar Siyal and Dr Daud had met him to get the house on rent.
“They agreed to pay Rs 50,000 advance and Rs 25,000 monthly rent,” he added. However, Noonari said he was not aware of any criminal record of these people and even did not know that they would keep a kidnapped person in the house. According to him, Dr Ashok and his mother Kamla Devi were the first to settle in the rented house.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch police which are investigating the murder case of Dr Aftab Qureshi obtained 4-day judicial remand of the 5 suspects they had arrested in connection with the case. They include Imdad Solangi, Azhar Solangi, Farooq Laghari, Aziz Barejo and Hoth Banglani. Dr Qureshi was shot dead during a police raid led by Anti Violence Crime Cell, Karachi and Citizen Police Liaison Committee, Karachi, on May 30.
They took a bungalow in Abdullah Valley area early in the morning and during the operation a policemen and the suspected kidnapper were also killed. Bhitainagar police station later registered the case on the complaint of an AVCC officer against the slain suspected kidnapper.
The Inspector General of Sindh Police Mushtaq Shah had handed over the investigation to the Crime Branch police.
Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court is also hearing a suo motu notice in the murder of Dr Qureshi. At a press conference on Saturday, DIG Crime Branch Farhat Ali Junejo revealed that a professional gang of kidnappers was involved in the case. He claimed the police have arrested 6 of the 11 persons who connived in the case. The DIG also claimed that 2 employees of the late doctor who were working at his Hyderabad and Karachi clinics had conspired with the kidnappers.
