KARACHI: A sessions court on Monday granted interim pre-arrest bail to the SHO of the New Karachi police station in a case pertaining to the killing of a political activist in a ‘staged’ encounter.

The New Karachi SHO, Inspector Mohammad Afzal, through his lawyer, moved his pre-arrest bail application stating that Faisal alias Makha was involved in over a dozen criminal cases and was killed during an encounter with the police.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (central) Rashida Siddiqui granted interim bail to the SHO till Oct 28 against a surety bond of Rs100,000 and issued notices to the prosecutor and investigation officer for the next date.

The police said that Faisal alias Makha, a worker of the Sunni Tehreek, was killed in an encounter with police in New Karachi on Oct 19.

However, the ST leadership protested against the killing and alleged that he was killed in a fake encounter. Later, the SHO and other policemen were booked in a murder case under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the directives of police high-ups.

Ex-police officer indicted

An anti-terrorism court indicted on Monday a former police officer with a co-accused after turning down his bail application in an extortion case.

Mohammad Waseem, aka Beater, a former police officer who allegedly influenced transfers and postings of police officers and ran gambling dens and indulged in criminal activities with other suspects, was booked in an extortion case registered at the Napier police station early last year.

On the last hearing, the suspect through his lawyer had moved a bail application and after hearing arguments from both sides the court reserved the order for later pronouncement.

Judge Farman Ali Kanasro of ATC-IX dismissed the bail plea of the ex-police officer and read out the charges against him and co-accused Hamid Ali. The accused pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case. The court summoned the prosecution witnesses with the direction to record their evidence on Nov 5.

The Federal Investigation Agency had arrested Waseem on Sept 4 at Karachi airport and later he was remanded in prison.

A case was registered under Sections 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Over 25 others are absconders in the case.

The name of the suspect surfaced before the Supreme Court during a suo motu proceeding about Karachi’s law and order situation in March last year when two senior police officers informed the apex court that the suspect ran a gambling den in a police station in Hyderabad and was involved in other criminal activities and even influenced transfers and postings of police officers.

Man recovered in raid on Orangi PS

A judicial magistrate raided on Saturday the Orangi Town police station and recovered a man apparently kept there in unlawful detention.

On the directives of a sessions court, Judicial Magistrate (west) Sadruddin Bohyo raided the police station and got the detainee, Mohammad Irshad, released on a personal bond as the police failed to justify his detention.

The magistrate directed the SHO and other police officials as well as the applicant side to appear before the sessions court on Tuesday.

A relative of the detainee moved a habeas corpus application in court for his recovery stating that the victim was picked up a couple of days ago and police were demanding a bribe for his release.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2014