KARACHI: Following the arrest of Union Council Nazim Rahim Shah, main accused in the murder of Jeay Sindh Tehreek’s Karachi President Irshad Ranjhani, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah on Monday penned a letter to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Syed Kaleem Imam regarding the incompetence of the police.
According to details that surfaced via a local media outlet, the Sindh CM criticised the Sindh IGP for his “unprofessional handling” of the Irshad Ranjhani case.
The letter began with the chief minister saying that he was writing in “utter dismay” with regards to the “unfortunate incident” and added that videos of the incident doing the rounds on social media portrayed an “inhuman and gory picture”.
He wrote that main accused Abdul Rahim Shah had “apparently” acted “like the judge, jury and the executioner at the scene and violently flaunted the rule of the gun at the crime scene”.
The letter went on to state that while the police had been given the power to exercise “complete autonomy” in its administrative affairs, its efficiency is “sub-optimal and leaves a lot of room for further improvement”, adding that this incident was a clear example of this fact.
Further, the Sindh CM reminded IGP Kaleem Imam of the provincial government and polices’ role in the province’s security situation.
“I must remind you that the police force was entrusted operational independence by the Sindh High Court for the purpose of improvement in the efficiency,” he wrote.
Concluding the letter, the Sindh CM ordered IGP Imam to “expedite the investigation as per law/rules in vogue” while adding that “delinquent officials” who “mishandled the entire incident from the beginning” must be held accountable.
ACT OF MAIN ACCUSED BARBARIC, NOT SELF-DEFENCE:
According to reports, the arrest was made on the directives of Karachi Additional Inspector General Dr Amir Shaikh after the initial findings of the inquiry committee led by District East DIG Amir Farooqi.
Shaikh said that even if it was an act of self-defence, it was mandatory to shift him to a hospital instead of barring people from helping the man which was a barbaric act. “There are limits to self-defence. No one has the right to be cruel under the garb of self-defence,” he added.
It was further reported that police are also “contemplating taking action against bystanders of the incident”.
THE CASE:
Ranjhani, a Jeay Sindh Tehreek (JST) activist, was reportedly killed on February 6 by Rahim Shah at Bhens Colony, who barred people present on the spot from taking the victim to the hospital.
Protesters had claimed that Ranjhani was allegedly shot twice by Rahim, but was still alive when he was taken to Shah Latif Police Station, where he was allegedly shot eight more times by police officials.
Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah had directed IGP Dr Kaleem Imam to conduct an inquiry into the murder case by constituting an inquiry team of policemen, led by a senior police officer, to probe the murder case.
“This city only belongs to each and every person living here peacefully and there is no space for criminals, dacoits, killers and outlaws here,” he had added.
Moreover, CM Murad had also ordered the provincial IGP to intensify targeted operations against outlaws and criminals in the city.
