Seven days on, NAB registers FIR of investigator’s death

Apparently succumbing to pressure by the Supreme Court, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the police station concerned to lodge a first information report (FIR) on the death of its investigator seven days after the incident.

Investigating Officer Kamran Faisal, who was probing the high-profile Rental Power Project (RPP) corruption case involving the prime minister and others, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his bedroom at the Federal Lodges on January 18. Upon the application by the NAB chairman, the Secretariat Police registered an FIR under Section 302 against unidentified persons.

According to the FIR, if proved, the forces that pressured Kamran Faisal into committing suicide would also be charged under Section 302 PPC.

The other day, NAB Additional Director (Coordination) Nauman Aslam, on behalf of NAB Chairman Admiral (r) Fasih Bokhari, submitted a written application with the Secretariat Police Station, requesting the police to register the FIR.

According to the application, “Investigation officer of the NAB did not come to his office on 18th of January, 2013. When his colleagues, tried to contact him by phone his mobile phone remained unanswered. His colleagues then went to his residence in the Federal Lodges to check on him where they found him hanging from ceiling fan. I’m directed to state that on account of the dispread rumours and suspicions that Kamran Faisal’s death could be due to murder, it is requested to register an FIR in this case in order to determine the cause of the death and to find out if this death was brought about by any undue pressure from any source.”

However, NAB deliberately did not request the police to proceed against those NAB officials, who, after making several attempts by phone to contact Kamran Faisal, approached his residence, where they, without bringing the matter into the notice of police, illegally kept Faisal’s room in their custody for more than two hours.

Sources insist that the said officials should also be thoroughly investigated as to why they kept the room in their custody.

Faisal’s initial post-mortem report had declared his death a result of suicide; however, family members rejected the report, saying they had seen torture marks on his body and wrists.

The case is already being heard in the Supreme Court, which during the last hearing sought all record of the case from NAB, police, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) and other relevant authorities.

Sources said that police have submitted a copy of the said FIR and other relevant material to the SC. The PTA also submitted the record of Faisal’s calls and text messages. The next hearing is due on Monday.

Meanwhile, police has also decided to contact the Punjab government to seek forensic report on Faisal’s mysterious death.

In this regard, the federal police wrote a letter to the Punjab government. Earlier on January 23, the Punjab Forensic Agency had received the samples from the deceased’s body.

Sajid Ali, who was Faisal’s roommate, has recorded his statement to police. In his statement, he said that he had never seen any laptop computer under Faisal’s use. He stated that Kamran used medicines regularly, but did not know what type of medicines. Police has made Sajid Ali’s statement part of the record of the case, which will be presented, before the court on next hearing.

The police also submitted its preliminary report on Faisal’s death in the Supreme Court. A record of calls made to and from Faisal’s mobile phone and a post mortem report were also attached to the police report. The preliminary report contains an application by a NAB official to register an FIR along with statements of NAB officials and employees of the hostel where Faisal had been staying. The report adds that the police was still awaiting the forensic report.

In a related development, an investigation team of the police reached Faisal’s native village in Chak 129/15L, Mian Channu. The team met with Abdul Hameed Chaudhry, Faisal’s father, who excused himself from recording a statement on account of grief. Chaudhry said he would only decide over a statement once he had seen an autopsy report of Faisal’s death.