LARKANA: The motive behind the murder of Chandka Medical College Hospital’s store in-charge Arif Ali Abbasi (a paramedic) was to recapture the post, arrested suspect Ali Hassan alias Pappu Khokhar told police, according to Larkana SSP Dr Mohammed Imran.

Accompanied by SP-Headquarters Asif Raza Baloch and ASP Attiq-ur-Rehman Maikan, the SSP was speaking at a press conference held in his office on Monday.

Abbasi was shot dead by two motorcycle riders while he, along with his friend, Sajjad Mirjat, was on his way to the Dari area on Feb 3 on a motorcycle. Mirjat had escaped unhurt in the attack.

The SSP said that Pappu Khokhar, who was holding the charge of stsore in-charge in 2021, had harboured personal grudge against Abbasi after the data of medicine stocks he was maintaining was leaked and this led to a scam. Khokhar believed that the data was leaked by Abbasi to the officials concerned. Ultimately, Khokhar was suspended and finally removed from the post.

The SSP said Khokhar had taken four months to hatch the conspiracy to kill Abbasi. To execute his plan, Khokhar hired two criminals, said to be close to him. During investigation of the case and interrogation of Khokhar, it surfaced that one of the killers was Barkat Bozdar, the SSP said, adding that they would be traced out and arrested soon as the motorbike used in crime had already been recovered.

Claims he suspected the victim had leaked a drug pilferage scam against him in 2021

Police investigators in close coordination with IT specialists succeeded in solving the blind murder case. The local CIA in-charge, SHOs of the Market and Dari police stations and the technical team had jointly worked on the case.

An FIR (No.14/2023) of the murder was lodged against unknown killers by Abbasi’s brother Sharif Abbasi under Sections 302 and 34 PPC at the Dari police station.

About Barkat Bozdar, the SSP said he was nominated in two FIRs (56 & 57/2016) registered at the Haidri police station in connection with an ‘honour killing’ incident.

Policemen held in robbery case, 23-tola gold, prize bonds and cash recovered

A police constable, Ali Dino Kori, was arrested and gold, prize bonds, currency and other valuables taken away in a robbery in the house of a citizen, Dr Saleemullah Shaikh, in Naudero on Jan 16, were recovered on his lead, SSP Dr Imran also told the media.

The police officer said that all members of Kori’s gang had been identified during the investigation of the case. They included Kori’s brother, Shoukat alias Shouko Kori (who was killed on Jan 31), Nadeen Shahani, Shahid Shaikh and Wajid Shaikh, he added.

Constable Kori was arrested on Feb 1 and during interrogation he revealed that the gold [23 tolas] had been sold to goldsmiths Sajjad Khokhar and Naveed Khokhar in Ratodero town. The gold, Rs1 million in cash, and prize bonds were also recovered, the SSP said.

He said that on Jan 31, Shoukat alias Shouko Kori was killed in cross fire within the jurisdiction of the Rehmatpur police station. A Kalashnikov was recovered from his possession.

His criminal record showed that he had been involved in robberies, kidnappings for ransom and murders. Over 35 cases were registered against him at different police stations of Karachi, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad and other districts.

The SSP said that Nadeem Shaikh and Shahid Shahani were wanted in FIR (No. 696/2020) registered at the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station of Karachi where a sub-inspector of police, Abdul Rahim, was killed.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2023