HYDERABAD: A furniture trader allegedly kidnapped by three policemen on Friday evening was found shot dead and dumped at a place falling within the limits of the Chalgari police station here on Saturday.

Ameer Ali Sayani was a resident of Al Amna Plaza, located in the Cantonment area that falls within the jurisdiction of the Makki Shah police station. He belonged to the Ismaili community.

Sayani’s son, Jawahir alias Mitthu, told Dawn that he was cleaning his shops on the ground floor of the plaza on Friday evening when his father came to him along with his stepmother to say that they were going to the community hall (Jamaat Khana), located along Station Road.

In the meantime, he claimed, “three men wearing police uniforms and riding a car bearing a police number plate struck there, kidnapped my father and drove away”.

According to Jawahir, there were some disputes within his family and his brother, Asad Raza, was not on talking terms with his father. He dismissed reports that the disputes included one relating to the furniture shop. He said Asad lived with his mother in Karachi.

Since then he had been missing, he said, adding that on Saturday morning his body was found dumped near Miani forests within the limits of the Chalgari police station.

According to police, a bullet wound was found near the nose of the deceased and his one hand was found chained. Police have also noticed a ‘blue ink mark’ on his thumb.

The deceased, who had three sons and a daughter from his first wife, lived with his second wife in the plaza’s Block B. His second marriage took place some time back after he divorced his first wife, who lives in Karachi.

According to a resident of plaza, Jawahir called the Makki Shah SHO to inform him about the alleged kidnapping of his father. “Jawahir informed the police immediately and on Saturday morning, he submitted an application at the police station as was directed by the SHO,” he added.

Police sources claimed that the deceased was embroiled in multiple disputes. A monetary dispute was also pending resolution and the amount appeared to be Rs3.1 million. The deceased also had some issues with a person, namely Shahabuddin Qureshi, a resident of Karachi, they claimed.

Jawahir recognised the body of his father while it was lying in the mortuary of Liaquat University Hospital’s city branch.

An FIR of the incident was not registered till Saturday evening.

Hyderabad SSP Adeel Chandio met Jawahir and later expressed the suspicion that the alleged kidnapper used a fake registration number plate. However, about their police uniform, he said the claim was being verified.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2020