FAISALABAD: The parents of a man, who was gunned down in an ‘encounter’ with police on Wednesday, alleged that Gulberg police had arrested their son, demanded Rs3 million for his release and killed him in a staged encounter, after breaking his legs and arms, when they could not arrange the money.

Naveed was killed in the alleged encounter held near ABC Chowk when he, according to police, and his three accomplices were escaping on motorcycles after robbing a house owned by one Usman in Rehmanpura.

Many family members, relatives and neighbours of Naveed Ahmed staged a protest demonstration on Abdullahpur Road and blocked traffic for more than two hours by placing his body on it.

Alleges police had demanded Rs3m for his release

Talking to reporters, Naveed’s mother Nusrat Bibi said Gulberg police had come to her house in civvies on Oct 16 and arrested him without disclosing on what charge he was being arrested. The Gulberg station house officer (SHO) was in a private luxury vehicle and bundled Naveed into it, she alleged.

She alleged that no case was registered against her son with the police station and the SHO had demanded Rs3m for his release. She could arrange only Rs700,000 which were not sufficient for the police. She said she had put her house on sale to meet the police demand but they did not give her time and killed her son in the staged encounter.

Ali Raza, father of Naveed, said his neighbours were witness to the fact that police had arrested him on Oct 16. He claimed legs, arms and neck of Naveed were broken as police had subjected him to severe torture before killing him in the staged encounter.

“How could a man with broken body parts take part in the encounter with police? Not a single policeman sustained even a minor bruise in the incident,” he said, demanding justice from the government.

During the protest against the killing of Naveed, the protesters, including women, were carrying the 15-day-old daughter of Naveed. They chanted slogans against police and demanded punishment for the policemen involved in the killing.

They also manhandled some motorcyclists and did not allow any motorist to cross the busiest Abdullahpur Road.

The protesters dispersed when Madina Town SP Nasir Sial held talks with them, assuring them that an inquiry would be held into the case.

Police claimed Naveed was involved in gambling, theft and robberies, claiming cases had been registered against him with Samanabad, Civil Lines, Rajana, Mansoorabad Gulberg and Jhang Bazaar.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2014