September 05, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 04, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 4: In the absence of any forensic evidence in the murder case of fashion designer Sheikh-Amir Hassan, the police are trying to extract a confessional statement from the suspects, brothers Ameer Hamza Awan, 23, and Mohammad Saad Awan, 20, whose arrest was announced on Wednesday.

Sheikh-Amir Hassan’s trussed up body was found from his apartment in Clifton last Saturday by his servant. The deceased was repeatedly shot in the head.

On Thursday a civil judge and judicial magistrate, south, remanded the two brothers in police custody till Sept 6.

The investigation officer told the court that during the initial interrogations the suspects admitted to having killed the fashion designer. The IO requested for the physical remand of the suspects till Sept 17 for further interrogation. However, the judge, Mohammad Umer Awan, remanded the suspects for two days and directed the investigation officer to produce them in court on the next date of hearing.

According to the prosecution, the bullet-riddled body of fashion designer Sheikh-Amir Hassan, son of Javed Hassan, was found in the small hours of Aug 30 inside his house, where he was living alone.

The investigators claimed that suspect Ameer Hamza, during the preliminary interrogations, disclosed that he, with the help of his brother, killed Sheikh-Amir as the deceased had sexually abused him by giving a heavy dose of tranquillizers in juice, adding that he had met Amir around three years ago. Since then they had become friends and the deceased had offered to make him a model. The weapon used in the murder was also recovered, they added.

A case (FIR No 215/08) was registered under Section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Clifton police station on the complaint of the deceased’s brother, Jalal Hassan. The FIR was registered against unknown culprits.

However, the police had traced the suspects through the deceased’s cellphone records and arrested them. The police said that they had also recorded the statements and taken the fingerprints of the servants and friends of Sheikh-Amir.

Implication in case

Advocate Azam Awan, representing the suspects, told Dawn that his clients were implicated in the case since they have no link or relationship with the deceased. He further stated that the police had claimed to recover the weapon used in the murder from the possession of the suspects, but he said the police had taken a licensed gun of the suspects’ father from their home.

However, sources close to the investigation said that relying on the charge of attempted sexual molestation made by Ameer Hamza Awan against Sheikh-Amir Hassan, police are strongly suspecting Awan of complicity in the murder.

According to the call data of Sheikh-Amir Hassan, Ameer Hamza sent the last SMS to the deceased, asking him to open the door to his residence.

Though the police also claimed to have recovered a shotgun which they believe was used to commit the crime, a ballistics test could not be carried out as no spent bullets, or ‘empties,’ were found from the crime scene, which is a prerequisite for the test.

And though fingerprints were also collected by the police from the crime scene using conventional methods, no effort has been made to match them with that of the suspects. Sources said that the deceased’s cellphone is still missing.

SSP investigation, south, Shahid Hayat could not be contacted for his version.

Earlier on Wednesday, SSP Hayat told a news conference that the police, on technical grounds, had arrested the two brothers, believed to be involved in the murder of Sheikh-Amir Hassan.

He said that Ameer Hamza, the son of a landlord and transporter, had met Amir Hassan in 2005 at a dance party. They remained friends for some time and then separated.

The SSP said that they again met at another dance party in August 2008, where Amir asked Ameer Hamza to be a model.

Following the party they came to the house of Sheikh-Amir, where, according to the arrested accused, Amir made an attempt to assault him, which he escaped.

The angry young man went home and returned with his brother and after tying Amir’s hands and legs shot him dead.

Police have questioned some showbiz personalities, including designer Shayan Malik, actor Ali Saleem and model Gia Ali, along with Tariq, the servant of the deceased, but have been unable to find any clue.