KARACHI: Police on Wednesday arrested a former SHO of the Orangi Town police station in a case pertaining to the murder of a teenage student in a fake encounter.

On Dec 7, a policeman in plain clothes, Toheed, along with his civilian friend Umair gunned down Arsalan Mehsud and wou­nded his friend Yasir near the Qatar Hospital in Orangi Town.

Initially, the police claimed that the victim, who was returning from a tuition centre in Nazimabad, was a criminal, but after widespread condemnation on social media and protests by relatives and community members, it emerged that the encounter was fake and both the suspects were arrested and a case under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code was registered.

Area SHO Azam Ali Gopang was also nominated in the case, but he managed to escape and got interim pre-arrest bail from the Sindh High Court’s Sukkur bench.

He appeared before the antiterrorism court concerned, which granted him bail till Dec 28 in the murder case.

SHO Gopang had in his initial report claimed that the teenage had been killed in an encounter with police and a pistol recovered from him.

West SSP (Investigation) Abid Qaimkhani said the police had arrested SHO Gopang on Wednesday as another FIR was lodged against him under Section-24 of the Sindh Arms Act (punishment for possessing arms with intent to use for unlawful purposes) on behalf of the state.

The SSP said the SHO had allegedly tried to foist a weapon on the victim to show an encounter.

The police got the SHO’s remand from the ATC till Dec 19.

The officer recalled that the incident had taken place near the Orangi Town police station where the held SHO was present.

According to the FIR registered under Section 24, the DIG-West had ordered an inquiry to ascertain the claims of the SHO that a weapon was found from the slain student.

“A detailed inquiry based on the statement of witnesses, examination of the crime scene and record showed that the .30-bore pistol was owned by the SHO Gopang,” the FIR read.

Section 24 of Sindh Arms Act says whoever possesses arms or ammunition licensed or unlicensed with the aim to use them for any unlawful purpose can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and with fine.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2021