KARACHI: Two Rangers personnel rightly picked out two suspects during an identification parade before a judicial magistrate in cases pertaining to the attacks on the checkpoints of the paramilitary force.
Syed Ahmed Hussain Salman, alias SP, and Obaidullah Siddiqui, alias Habib Kala, said to be political activists, have been booked for allegedly hurling explosives at the Rangers checkpoints at Korangi Crossing and Korangi 2 ½ in March. Some soldiers and passersby were wounded in the attacks.
The police produced the suspects with their faces covered before the court of judicial magistrate (east), Sobia Aftab, who conducted the identification parades in both the cases after completing legal formalities.
The suspects were lined up with the dummies when the magistrate called eyewitnesses Sepoy Mohammad Hameed and Naik Shaman Khan of the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, to identify them.
Sepoy Hameed rightly picked out both the suspects among the dummies and deposed that Salman was riding a motorbike when pillion rider Siddiqui hurled explosives at the Korangi Crossing checkpoint on March 18.
The second witness also identified the two suspects in another case pertaining to a cracker attack at the Rangers checkpoint in Korangi 2 ½ on March 21. While assigning their respective roles in the commissioning of crime in the case, the witness informed the magistrate that Siddiqui was riding the motorbike when his accomplice Salman, who was riding pillion on the motorbike, threw a bag containing explosives at the checkpoint.
Both the suspects are in police custody on five-day physical remand.
The cases were registered under Sections 324 (attempted murder), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc. ) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, ¾ of Explosive Substances Act read with Section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997 at the Zaman Town police station.
Arrest warrants out for Perween Rahman murder case IO
A judicial magistrate on Saturday issued a show-cause notice to and warrants for arrest of an investigating officer for failing to produce a key suspect in the Perween Rahman murder case before the court.
Investigating officer Raja Ulfat did not appear before the magistrate (west) Salman Amjad Siddiqui with the suspect, Mohammad Raheem Swati, despite having filed an application a day earlier requesting the judicial magistrate to record his confessional statement.
Ms Rahman, director of the Orangi Pilot Project, was gunned down on Manghopir Road in March 2013. Three years later, the prime suspect, Swati, was arrested during an exchange of fire with police on May 7.
On Friday, the investigating officer moved an application requesting the magistrate to record the confessional statement of the suspect under Section 164 of the criminal procedure code. The judicial magistrate directed the IO to produce the suspect before the court on May 28. However, the IO neither turned up nor did he intimate the court about it on Saturday.
Subsequently, the judicial magistrate (west) issued a show-cause notice to IO Raja Ulfat and warrant for his arrest through SSP-West.
Meanwhile, the murder suspect, Swati, has been in police custody on physical remand till May 30.
The murder case is pending trial before an antiterrorism court against detained suspects Ahmed Khan, alias Ahmed Ali alias Pappu Kashmiri, and Mohammad Imran Swati. In the last charge sheet filed in October 2015, Raheem Swati, Ayaz Swati, Amjad Afridi and Shaldar Khan had been shown absconders. A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Pirabad police station. Later, Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was incorporated in the case on a directive of the Supreme Court of Pakistan that took a suo motu notice of the incident.
A judicial inquiry report placed before the apex court in 2014 recommended that the murder be reinvestigated by an efficient, independent and honest police officer. The suo motu proceedings are still pending before the apex court.
Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2016
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