HYDERABAD, Dec 23: A bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad, on Thursday ordered registration of an FIR against Kotri police station SHO Jawaid Iqbal Tunio, former Kotri SHO, two ASIs and a constable.

The court allowed a petition filed by Shahzada Faisal Ubaidullah, a laboratory assistant of the Oil and Gas Development Corporation, Tando Mohammad Khan. The petitioner said ASIs Imtiaz Thebo and Nawab Khan Rind and three other policemen in civilian clothes had arrested him on April 13 outside the shrine of Baba Salahuddin in Kotri on the charge of gambling.

He alleged that police had deprived him of Rs86,000 in cash, keys of a car and a cellular phone set. He said he had been taken to the Kotri police station where respondent constable Shah Pasand Khoso had taken Rs7,200 in cash, his NIC and driving licence.

He further alleged that ASI Thebo had demanded Rs100,000 for his release and on his refusal his car had been challaned and a charge-sheet against him in a case under the Gambling Ordinance had also been presented in the court.

He accused the ASI of forcibly getting Rs25,000 in cash from him. He said the Kotri SHO and his sub-ordinate staff had falsely implicated him in the case. The petitioner prayed the court to restrain the police officers from harassing him and return his money and driving licence. He sought registration of an FIR against the respondents.

Earlier, the court had ordered the Dadu DPO to hold an inquiry into the matter. The DPO in his report had said the petitioner had failed to prove his allegations against the respondent policemen and that he had been challaned under the Gambling Ordinance.

Sindh Additional Advocate General Masood A. Noorani opposed the petition on the ground that the petitioner should seek relief by filing a direct complaint. He also referred to the DPO's report.

The court, however, noted that the statement recorded by the DPO and contents of the petition indicated that a cognisable offence had taken place which was to be recorded under section 154 of Cr.PC.

KILLED: Two persons were killed and the taluka nazim of Jacobabad was injured in two accidents on Sunday. The car of Taluka Nazim Mumtaz Jakhrani collided head on with a truck near Matiari and its driver Rehmatullah died on the spot. Jakhrani was injured and shifted to Civil Hospital here and later to Karachi. Eleven-year-old Waseem, who was hit by a vehicle of law enforcers in Badin, was brought to the Civil Hospital where he died.