KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the home secretary, inspector general of police and others on a petition seeking constitution of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe into the killings of three men in an alleged fake police encounter in Malir.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro also put the advocate general and prosecutor general, Sindh on notice and directed the respondents to file comments till Aug 11.

Ms Noori, through her lawyer, petitioned the SHC stating that her 20-year-old son Naveed Ali Kaka along with two others was killed by police allegedly in a fake encounter on June 28 in Steel Town. She said police dubbed them as dacoits and lodged cases.

The petitioner stated that after receiving the body, they found the deceased was brutally tortured and marks of violence were apparent on different parts, while his fingers and hands were fractured which prima facie established that the alleged encounter was fake.

She further submitted that they approached police high-ups for a proper investigation of the incident as the deceased had no criminal record, but police officials were allegedly influencing and threatening the family from adopting any course of law.

Citing the home secretary, IGP, SSP-Malir and SHO of the Steel Town police station as respondents, the petitioner maintained that her son, along with his friends, was picked up by police from an eatery in Gulzar-i-Hijri on June 27.

She said her son was the sole bread-earner, as her husband, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Allah Yar, was already in jail in connection with the Naqeeb murder case.

She sought directives for the home department and IGP to constitute a JIT comprising officials of police and other agencies to investigate the alleged encounter and the cases lodged against her son and other deceased.

The petitioner further pleaded for constitution of a medical board under the supervision of a judicial magistrate for exhumation of the body of her son to determine the cause of death, torture marks and other circumstances.

She also sought directives for police to record her statement as well as the testimonies of other persons who witnessed the torture marks on body of her son.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2022