LARKANA: A DSP (deputy superintendent of police), Raja Azhar Mehmood, who was posted at the Larkana district headquarters, committed suicide in his Police Line house here on Monday.

Raja used the pistol issued to him only a day before, police sources said, adding that he hailed from Punjab.

Larkana DIG Jawed Akbar Riaz and SSP Shabbir Sethar rushed to the house along with a team of forensic experts after receiving information about the incident.

The team collected evidence, took fingerprints of the deceased and shifted the body to the Chandka Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

The pistol and Raja’s mobile phone were also taken into custody and the room, which he shared with another DSP, was also sealed, the sources said.

Speaking to Dawn, the SSP said that he would head the committee formed to investigate the alleged suicide. City ASP Babar Jawed, Civil Lines DSP Irfan Zaman and Inspector Ghulam Shabbir Soomro would be the other members of the committee.

SSP Sethar said that DSP Raja was mentally disturbed due to his family issues.

“His only son is disabled and his four daughters are unmarried. He had been taking sleeping pills for some time,” police sources confirmed.

The deceased had sent one of his orderlies, Ishaq Pathan, outside with certain work and when another orderly, Yar Mohammed arrived at the house to take DSP Raja to the office as a daily routine, he found him lying in a pool of blood in his room. The pistol was lying beside him, another source said.

The DSP’s body was handed over to his brother, Raja Aleem, after due formalities. Line Officer Aijaz Umrani escorted the body to Gujar Khan, the SSP said.

It was learnt that about a week back, DSP Raja had obtained leave and tried to get himself transferred but in vain.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2018