KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Saturday provided copies of the documentary evidence to suspended SSP Rao Anwar and 11 of his subordinates in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case.

The former SSP and his 11 detained subordinates along with around 15 absconding personnel have been booked for abducting an aspiring model, Naseemullah, better known as Naqeebullah Mehsud, for ransom and killing him with three other detainees by dubbing them as ‘militants’ in a staged encounter in Malir on Jan 13.

With no handcuffs, police produced ex-SSP Rao Anwar in court along with other suspects amid tight security.

The ATC-II judge provided the copies of the documentary and forensic evidence, including the statements recorded by the prosecution witnesses under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, reports of mobile phone calls’ data analysis, geofencing and others, as required under Section 265 of the CrPC.

The judge fixed the matter for May 28 for their indictment.

Previously, the suspects were given incomplete copies.

Special prosecutor’s absence

Meanwhile, three different applications filed by Rao Anwar and the complainant were fixed for hearing, but the same could not be taken up due to absence of the special public prosecutor, Ali Raza.

Media reports suggested that the prosecutor was reportedly facing threats.

In two separate applications, Rao Anwar had sought his release on bail and better class facilities during detention.

The complainant had filed an application against declaring the Multan Lines, where the suspended SSP is currently being detained, in the Malir Cantonment area as ‘sub-jail’.

The applications are also likely to be taken up on the next date.

The court also issued notices to the special public prosecutor and complainant’s lawyer on an application moved by former DSP Qamar Javed seeking post-arrest bail.

Earlier on May 2, the court had accepted a supplementary charge sheet against Rao Anwar and 25 of his detained and absconding subordinates in the alleged kidnapping and murder case.

In the supplementary charge sheet, Investigation Officer Dr Rizwan Ahmed had mentioned that forensic reports of the weapons, a technical analysis of the call detail records (CDR), interviews of Rao Anwar received from TV channels and circumstantial evidence suggested involvement of Rao Anwar, former Sub-Inspector Anar Khan, former Head Constable Faisal Mehmood, former Constable Raja Shamim, former SI Amanullah Marwat, former ASI Gada Hussain, former HC Sadaqat Hussain, former HC Mohsin Abbas, former PC Rana Riaz, former SI Sheikh Mohammad Shoaib, alias Shoaib Shooter, former ASI Khair Mohammad in the extrajudicial killing and dubbing the victims as terrorists.

It said the CDR showed that Rao Anwar was present at the crime scene between 2.55am and 3.21am, adding that his presence was also recorded near the New Sabzi Mandi on Superhighway on Jan 4, 5, 8, 9 and 13.

“These digital evidence show [the] important role of the suspects in planning and execution of the fake encounter, while it also suggests their involvement in failure to report the crime and abetting the police party in the fake encounter,” it stated.

But, on the last date of hearing, an eyewitness had filed a personal affidavit in court, deviating from his earlier statement given to the police against Rao Anwar and his subordinates regarding their involvement in the extrajudicial killing of Naqeeb.

In his affidavit, head constable Shahzada Jahangir stated that he was not present at the place of the incident on Jan 13, adding that he was posted at Memon Goth on Feb 10, but he had joined his duty on Feb 12.

The prosecution witness mentioned that he received a call from the SP Office on Feb 17, adding when he visited the following day at 0300 hours he was arrested.

Jahangir stated that after seven or eight days of his arrest he was threatened and forced to give a statement, which was also recorded. He had alleged that he was coerced to give such a statement, which is not based on facts and the police had tortured him to record such statement.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2018