HYDERABAD: Although a special police team led by Hyderabad DIG Dr Sanaullah Abbasi has failed to find any clue yet to the killers of two brothers, who were shot dead in Umerkot by muggers on July 31, the team on Thursday recommended removal of the Umerkot SP apparently over complaints of his alleged inefficiency and indifferent attitude made by the people interviewed by the investigators.

The two brothers, Heera Lal Malhi and Ashok Kumar Malhi, who were reportedly carrying around Rs500,000, were shot dead by muggers on their way back home after closing their confectionery shop. It was reported that the muggers opened fire when the traders, riding a motorcycle, offered resistance to the muggers.

Since the victims happened to be Hindu, the community across Umerkot district and its adjoining areas staged widespread protest over the next several days demanding arrest of the killers who, they believed, could be religious extremists and not just muggers.

Relatives of the victims also subjected doctors and other staff at a local hospital to harassment and threats during the process of a post-mortem examination and other legal formalities.

No clue yet to killers of two Hindu traders

They were protesting against the police, who could not arrest the culprits and also failed to reach the crime scene until some people transported the victims to the hospital and also could not arrest the culprits.

Leaders of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Tharparkar chapter, along with PTI MNA Lal Malhi spearheaded the protest campaign insisting that the incident was in line with the recent series of attacks on Hindus and their holy places, kidnapping for ransom, forced conversion of Hindu girls etc. Umerkot district remained shut for two days during the week-long protest.

The issue was also raised in the National Assembly with demands for an investigation into the alleged excesses against the minority community.

In view of the sensitivity of the issue, a committee comprising SSPs of Badin, Matiari and Mirpurkhas, ASP of Mirpurkhas and an SHO was formed under the command of the Hyderabad DIG to investigate the double murder case in the light of the Hindu community’s apprehensions. DIG Abbasi said the committee was making all-out efforts, ranging from collecting evidence to the use of forensic and digital investigative tools, to reach the culprits.

“The investigation conducted so far indicates that the local police demonstrated gross inefficiency as the bodies [of two traders] were taken to hospital by private persons from the crime scene despite all resources being available at the disposal of the local police,” he said.

The committee visited the crime scene and interviewed the complainants, notables of the areas and many other people, besides assessing conclusion of police interrogation with about a dozen suspects.

The committee found that it was a pure crime case but was convinced by the complaints of the Umerkot SP’s and his subordinate staff’s inefficiency and indifferent attitude towards their responsibilities.

He recalled that on the day of the incident, Umerkot SP was not present within his jurisdiction.

The DIG told Dawn that it was the prime responsibility of an SP to supervise and monitor the situation after any incident taking place within his jurisdiction.

He observed that there was a polarisation in society due to a big population of two religious communities in Umerkot district.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014