KARACHI: A judicial magistrate (West) on Tuesday remanded in judicial custody a DSP of the Anti-Vehicles Lifting Cell (AVLC) in an alleged extrajudicial killing case.

DSP Qamar Ahmed, said to be district Central’s in charge of the AVLC, was arrested and booked over his alleged involvement in killing of motorcyclist Hashim Sikandar Magsi and injuring of his companion Shahzad for not stopping at an unauthorised picket in Manghopir on July 12.

On Tuesday, the investigating officer produced the detained official before the magistrate on expiry of his physical remand in police custody and said his custody was no more required to police for questioning.

He pleaded to remand the suspect in judicial custody.

While allowing the request, the magistrate remanded the held DSP in judicial custody, directing the IO to produce him on the next date along with an investigation report.

Police said initially it appeared that ASI Mukhtar Pathan along with his two/three accompanying colleagues had signalled both pillion riding motorcyclists, who were returning from the shrine of Ahmed Shah Noorani, but they did not stop at an unauthorised check post.

Police said that one rider Hashim Magsi, who had recently returned from Dubai to get married in Karachi, died from police officials’ firing, while his friend Shahzad received bullet wounds.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Manghopir police station.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2023