KARACHI: A judicial magistrate (South) on Monday remanded a suspect in police custody in a case pertaining to the murder of a college student near Seaview beach.

The investigating officer of the case produced Khawar Hussain Burney before the magistrate and submitted that police recovered a pistol and a vehicle used in the crime from him.

Stating that there were 11 absconders in the case, the IO requested the court to remand the held suspect in police custody for 14 days for questioning and the arrest of his absconding accomplices.

However, the defence lawyer opposed the request and argued that since the police claimed to have made recoveries from the suspect, he should be sent to prison on judicial remand.

The magistrate, however, remanded the suspect in police custody for two days and directed the IO to produce him again in court along with a progress report on Dec 6.

Police say 11 suspects, including a woman, are still at large

The IO named three brothers — Haider Hussain Burney, Hasan Hussain Burney and Hasnain Hussain Burney — Raza Hussain Burney and his brother Haris Hussain Burney, Danish, Hammad, Abdul Rehman, Noman, Umar Pirwani and a woman, Mehak, as absconders in the remand papers.

Police said that the suspects had allegedly gunned down the 18-year-old college student, Zafir Ahmed Zuberi, and caused injuries to his friend Zaid on Abdul Sattar Edhi Avenue near Seaview beach on Dec 3 after the victims, who were travelling in a Mercedes car, hit a motorcyclist, Dr Abdul Raheem, whose friends travelling in a Vigo chased and opened indiscriminate fire on them.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the compliant of the deceased’s father Fahim Ahmed Zuberi at the Sahil police station.

‘History of violence’

Investigators claimed that the held suspect had a history of “violence and interest in arms” with “strong doubts” of his involvement in a similar incident sometime back.

SSP South Javed Akbar Riaz told Dawn that the suspect told the police that following the accident he and his friends thought that their colleague had died.

He quoted the suspect as saying that they chased Zafir and Zaid and in the meantime, their vehicles hit each other but they did not stop.

The suspects chased them and opened fire on their car’s tyres but the indiscriminate firing resulted in the tragedy.

The accused claimed that he was in a “fit of rage and became hyper” since he thought the motorcyclist was killed in the accident and therefore, he opened fire.

The police also got information that he was also involved in a similar incident and the investigators were collecting his police record.

He said that it had also transpired during the probe that three double-cabin vehicles had chased the victims’ Mercedes, including one in which the main accused was travelling.

Another Vigo belonged to Dr Raheem, which was recovered by the police on Monday after a raid while his (Raheem) armed guard was absconding whose repeater rifle had also been seized, he said.

About Dr Raheem’s statement to the media that he did not know the suspects, the SSP said he was lying; they were all friends who had remained involved in riding heavy motorbikes.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police A.D. Khowaja on Monday said that all culprits involved in the murder of the college student would be taken to task irrespective of their influence and position in society.

Talking to media after inaugurating a Madadgar-15 call centre near the airport, he said after the incident, the police arrested the suspects within two hours and seized the weapon and the vehicle used in the murder.

Regarding race of vehicles and bikes at Seaview, the IGP said that he had issued directives to DIG South Azad Khan to look into this matter.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2017