The special public prosecutor objected to the “personal observation” of DIG Sultan Khuwaja, the investigation officer (IO) of the Sarfaraz Shah extra-judicial murder case, while the latter was recording his statement in the court on Tuesday.
The IO said that according to his observation, the Rangers personnel had neither planned the murder, nor did they intentionally commit the crime.
The special prosecutor raised his objection and told the court that the officer is not entitled to express his observation in the statement.
The prosecutor also opposed the IO’s act of presenting the joint investigation team report before court while recording his statement.
The anti-terrorism court judge, Basheer Ahmed Khoso, rejected the defence counsel’s application for the inspection of the crime scene while the decision on another application was reserved. Later the proceedings were adjourned till today (Wednesday).
The IO said in his statement that on June 10, he was performing his duties as the DIG West Karachi. The additional IG directed him through an official letter to conduct an inquiry into three cases – 225, 226 and 227/2011 – of the Boat Basin police station and the same day he received a fax from the Supreme Court in which it was said that the apex court bench headed by the chief justice of Pakistan had deputed him as the IO of the same matter.
He said that for his assistance, he deputed other police officers – SP Niaz Khoso, DSP Altaf Hussain, Inspector Muhammad Mubeen and Sub Inspector M Khalid Khan. He said that on the same day, he, along with SI Nasur Allah, inspected the scene of the crime and took into possession three bricks bearing blood marks.
On the second day, he went to the office of the Awaz TV channel where met with the CEO of channel Inayat Shah and Sallam Soomro, the cameraman who had recorded the video of the incident. He obtained the original video cassette of the incident and on the same day, he went to the Rangers headquarters to arrest the remaining four accused Rangers officials. DSR Ahmed Aleem Awan handed over the four accused men – Manthar, Tariq, Liaqat Ali and Baha-u-Rehman – and these officials were formally arrested. The DSR also handed over four G-3 rifles and mobile vehicles and all items were sealed.
He said that nine people including a woman recorded their statements from among the general public. He said that he watched the video of the incident in which he saw the accused Afsar Khan dragging the Sarfaraz Shah towards the Rangers personnel. Then the accused Shahid Zafar opened fire on him. Shah begged for his life and asked the Rangers officials to take him to a hospital, but despite having a vehicle, they waited for an ambulance. If the Rangers personnel had immediately shifted Shah to a hospital, his life could have been saved, he said.
Separately, the Sindh High Court on an application for the transfer of the Sarfaraz Shah murder case from the ant-terrorism court to a sessions court adjourned the matter till Wednesday.
