KARACHI, Oct 22: The police are now relying on the second survivor, Robin Sharif, in the Christians killings incident at Rimpa Plaza following the release of Robin Piran Ditta on court orders on Tuesday,
Robin Ditta, the peon-watchman of Idara Amn-o-Insaf, remained unhurt when unidentified attackers entered the office on Sept 25 and held nine occupants of the office hostage at gunpoint on the third floor of the Rimpa Plaza on M. A. Jinnah Road.
They shot a bullet to the head of each one except Robin Piran Ditta and fled the scene.
Robin Sharif, assistant communications coordinator, was seriously injured, but he survived. His seven colleagues died in the incident.
Robin Sharif was admitted to a private hospital where he was kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). “Robin Sharif is fast recovering and his memory is also intact. He opens his eyes and speaks many a times in broken sentences, but he is right now not in a condition to record his statement”, one of the investigators SSP Investigation (Homicide) Manzoor Mughal told Dawn.
He said: “We have deployed officials to provide security to Robin Sharif as he is the key witness of the incident.”
After his (Sharif’s) recovery, he could lead the police to the culprits and it was the duty of the police to provide him security, he added.
Mughal said: “We have released Robin Piran Ditta on court orders. We picked him up from the court premises after the verdict about his release and took him to Investigation Branch (old CIA Centre) in Saddar. After the documentary proceedings, we dropped him at his residence in Mehmoodabad.”
The police had taken Robin Piran Ditta into custody soon after the incident at Rimpa Plaza. The police suspected his alleged involvement in the killings and interrogated him many times during custody. The investigation branch was declared a sub-jail for him under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance and he was detained for 60 days under the ordinance.
Ditta repeatedly changed his statement and he was not sure what had he witnessed on the day of incident. The police also put him on a lie-detector and an expert was of the view that Robin was hiding some information from the police.
The sources said the police have failed to retrieve information from Ditta which he had been allegedly hiding. Ditta’s relatives filed a petition seeking his release.
The police could not find an evidence to implicate Ditta into the killings.
“If the police formally arrest Ditta, they may not substantiate their suspicions in the court”, a police official said.
The police have failed to find a breakthrough into the Christian killings case and after the release of Ditta, they are depending upon the eye-witness account of the second survivor, Robin Sharif, who was the namesake of Robin Piran Ditta.
“We are also investigating other aspects, but could not get a clue to the culprits”, an investigator said.
The investigation suggested that armed men made the entire staff of the office hostage at gunpoint. They made six of them sit on chairs in a library room, blind-folded them, tied their hands with chairs and shot a single bullet to heads of each of them. Five of them died on the spot. Another body was found near the door of the bathroom. Eight empty bullet covers were also found on the spot, which were fired from two different pistols.
Provincial police chief Syed Kamal Shah on the day of the incident had told journalists that the Idara Amn-o-Insaf was patronized by Church of Pakistan and Catholic Church. He said a monthly magazine “Jafakash” was also being brought out from the same office, which highlighted the issues relating to human rights and labour rights besides social issues.
Earlier, the Chairman of Idara Amn-o-Insaf and one of the trustees of St. Andrew’s Church, Edwin Moon, 45, was found dead on May 22, in his office near Tibet Centre.
Police found the body which was trussed-up and victim’s mouth was sealed with an adhesive tape. Police said the victim had been injected with a syringe.
The sources said the motive of the killing might be an outcome of a dispute lingering for a long time within the community. The two influential of the community were the rivals of each other and they had been using different tactics to lay down each other.
They said the dispute of land utilization of St Andrew’s Church for commercial purposes was the primary issue between the two influential of the Christian community in the city. This aspect was also being investigated as it could not be neglected, they added.
On Sept 21, at a press conference Daniel Sadiq alleged that Ejaz Inayat was entering a deal involving St Andrew’s Church situated on Abdullah Haroon Road and declared that the Church property would not be allowed to be used for any commercial venture.
He also said he was duly elected for the post of Bishop of Sindh and Balochistan in an election held on Feb 14 this year.
The sources said Ejaz Inayat was elected Bishop of Sindh and Balochistan. Sadiq Daniel approached the court and contended that the elections were not transparent. After a court decision, Ejaz Inayat was removed as Bishop and Daniel Sadiq took over the charge of Bishop.
Since February elections for the Bishop, the brawls and altercations between the followers of Ejaz Inayat and Sadiq Daniel were reported at different Churches in the metropolis.
Earlier, the police took away Robin Ditta from the premises of the court after he was set at liberty by a division bench, adds APP.
The bench comprised Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Amir Hani Muslim.
The bench on a previous date of hearing on Oct 8 had directed the Nazir of the SHC to visit the place where the Ditta was kept.
He was also asked to enquire into his health and to check that whether he was being maltreated/tortured by the police in custody.
The Nazir was also directed to submit a report.
When the matter came up for hearing before the bench, the AAG Sindh appeared for the state as AG Sindh was busy.
The bench, after perusing the report submitted by Nazir and other papers available on record, directed the production of detenue before the bench at 1:30p.m.
