ISLAMABAD: A man wanted in connection with different cases died after falling from the balcony of his residence on the fourth floor of an apartmenton Wednesday, said the police.

The incident took place when a police team raided his residence located in F-11 to arrest the man. The police claimed that the suspect fell from the fourth floor while trying to escape.

But the family of the deceased claimed that 12 armed persons, five wearing police uniforms, raided the flat and threw the man from the balcony, resulting in his death.

Over the incident, the police registered a case against the 12 people at the Shalimar police station on murder and other charges.

Police Media Director Assistant Inspector General of Police Operations Mohammad Usman Tipu, when contacted, told Dawn that an inquiry had been ordered to establish the facts.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Saddar Hamza Humayun has been asked to conduct the inquiry, he added.

Other officers told Dawn on condition of anonymity that there were 10 cases registered against the man in different police stations. In four cases, he was declared a proclaimed offender.

A preliminary investigation showed that one of the cases registered with the Kohsar police was transferred to the CIA for investigation and arrest of the PO. A police team raided his residence at around 2am. The team along with a guard of the apartment reached the flat and knocked on the door and asked the man to surrender.

One of the residents also called Rescue-15 twice between 2:15am and 2:30am and informed them about the presence of some armed people outside the flat and sought help, the officers said, adding in the meantime the suspect tried to escape through the window.

He used an exhaust pipe installed along with the window to descend from the balcony, they said. But the pipe broke down and the man fell down and died.

But the victim’s brother-in-law Malik Sajjid told Dawn that the deceased was a businessman and a case was registered against him over an issue of cheque dishonour. The complainant of the case along with a dozen armed people raided the flat and held up the victim, his wife and a nephew at gunpoint and asked him to pay the amount.

The attackers threatened them with dire consequences and also manhandled the family, he said, adding later they dragged the man to the balcony and threw him down, resulting in his death.

The police registered a case hours later when they were told that the victim’s family and relatives were going to block Srinagar Highway, he said.

The body was shifted to Pims for an autopsy and later handed over to the family.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2021