KARACHI: A two-year-old boy fell in an uncovered manhole and died in the Garden West area on Monday, police and relatives said.

The incident triggered a protest by relatives and area residents, who were also joined by an opposition lawmaker belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Garden SHO Imdad Khowaja said that the boy, Hamza, was playing in the street outside his home and fell in the open manhole near Fatima Jinnah College. The body was found after a considerable delay when his family launched a search for him.

The police said that one of the dumper trucks that brought material for an under-construction high-rise building in the area had damaged the manhole lid and the child fell in the manhole.

City police chief orders probe into the custodial death of a man

Assistant Commissioner Sherina Junejo along with police officers visited the residence of the victim’s family and assured them of her full cooperation to find and bring the culprits to justice.

She said that anyone, whether the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, local administration or the builder, found responsible for the incident would be taken to task.

After the tragedy, the manhole was repaired and covered properly.

The incident sparked anger among the area people who lodged a protest against those responsible.

PTI MPA wants FIR against CM, administrator

PTI lawmaker Khurram Sher Zaman also reached the area and met with the grieving family.

He told the media that an uncovered manhole took the life of a child. “It’s a matter of shame for rulers in Sindh as people are dying after falling in nullah (drains), open manhole or being bitten and killed by dogs,” he said.

He said that the Sindh chief minister and other functionaries of the provincial government should be ashamed of the incident.

Mr Sher Zaman said the provincial government did not bother to protect the life and property of the people. He suggested that the FIR of the incident should be registered against the chief minister, Karachi administrator and local government minister.

He urged the chief justice to take notice of the incident.

The child’s grandfather told the media that some people were holding the builder of the nearby under-construction multistorey building responsible, but it was the responsibility of the local administration to cover the manhole.

He said that they were considering lodging an FIR against the administration.

The area SHO said no case had so far been registered.

Suspect dies in police custody

A held suspect, who suffered a bullet wound following a recent encounter with police, died in the custody of the Pakistan Bazaar police station, officials said.

The suspect, Usman Aziz, 25, was arrested a few days ago in an ‘injured’ condition in the Hyderi Market police remit. Today, he was brought to a hospital where he died, said a police spokesperson.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that the body bore torture marks and they took it from the Pakistan Bazaar police and shifted it to the hospital for completing medico-legal formalities.

Taking notice of the death of the suspect in police custody, the city police chief sought a detailed report about it.

A police officer, who wished not to be named, said that the suspect was arrested by the Hyderi Market police some days ago. He was brought to the Pakistan Bazaar police station by the police’s investigation branch for the purpose of interrogation.

Meanwhile, SSP-West Abid Qaimkhani said in order to ensure a fair probe, the investigation was transferred from Hyderi Market police to the Pakistan Bazaar police. He said the investigators got his physical remand and brought him to the police station, where he informed them he was not well. He was taken to a hospital where he died, the SSP said.

Mother, son found murdered

A woman and her young son were found murdered in Saeedabad on Tuesday, according to police and rescue services.

Saeedabad SHO Shakir Husain added that the bodies were recovered from the underground water tank of their rented house in Sajan Goth. They were bludgeoned to death, he added.

The deceased were identified as Changal Mai, 50, and her son, Himmat Ali, 25.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that the bodies bore torture marks.

It appeared that they were killed and later their bodies were thrown in the tank.

The bodies were shifted to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital to fulfil medico-legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2021

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