29 February 2004	Sunday	08 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, Feb 28: The court of judicial magistrate, Malir V, on Saturday issued a show-cause notice asking the investigation officer in the Gadap killing case to explain failure of the police in showing the arrest of policemen against the FIR of murder.

Later, the court extended the remand of SHO Munir Phulpotto and SI Ishtiaq, two of the accused in another case which pertained to negligence in duty, and gave them in police custody till March 5.

The court issued the notice when the counsel for the complainant pointed out that police were not showing the arrest of the accused in the murder case, but in the other case of negligence in which they were actually arrested.

The court asked the investigating officer to clarify the position. He said that in the murder case, Inspector Abdul Baqi Rind was the investigating officer. The court issued notice to Mr Rind asking him to appear before it on the next date of hearing.

Earlier on Wednesday last, the police had obtained their remand which expired on Saturday. The accused had been booked in the FIR No. 28/04 under section 155(c) of the Police Order 2002. One of their co-accused, Pawan Kumar, is absconding.

They are facing charges of denying registration of FIR and using delaying tactics after the two minor girls, Sassi, 5, and Hajra, 8, went missing in the Gadap Town. They have also been nominated in another FIR (No. 26/04) pertaining to the murder of the two girls. One of the policemen's colleagues, head-constable Rao Tahir Rajput, who was posted in the telecommunication department of the police, has been cited as co-accused.

SHO Munir and SI Ishtiaq have, however, not been formally arrested in the murder case (FIR 26/04). Their remand in the murder case has not been obtained either.

TEAM CONSTITUTED: In compliance with the Sindh CM's directives, the provincial police chief on Saturday constituted an investigation committee comprising three senior superintendents of police.

According to a police spokesman, the team comprised SSPs Mir Zubair Mehmood, Dr Sanaullah Abbasi and Abdul Khaliq Shaikh. Mr Mehmood is already investigating the case in his capacity as chief of the Investigation Zone-III. Dr Abbasi and Mr Shaikh are the TPOs of Saddar and Gulshan-i-Iqbal respectively.

Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar on Friday had ordered the police chief to constitute the team and also directed him to suspend all officials of the Gadap police station, posted at the time of the recovery of the girls' bodies.