• Slain suspect was tortured at a private place after SP Nayyar removed him from lock-up, magistrate told
• Darakhshan SHO, head moharir remanded in police custody

KARACHI: A case pertaining to the custodial death of a suspect took a new turn on Wednesday when a judicial magistrate was informed that a senior police officer had shifted Moiz Naeem from the Darakhshan police station to a private place, where he was subjected to severe torture and died.

On April 15, suspect Naeem was found dead in the lock-up of the Darakhshan police station and a post-mortem examination revealed that he was tortured to death. The police arrested Darkhshan SHO Ali Raza Leghari and head moharir Faisal Leghari and registered a murder case against them.

On Wednesday, the investigating officer (IO) brought the held suspects before Judicial Magistrate Mazhar Ali and requested for their 14-day physical remand for further investigation. However, the court remanded the suspects in police custody till April 21 and directed the IO to produce them in court on the next date.

Representing held SHO Ali Raza, Advocate Salahuddin Panhwar appeared before the magistrate and informed him that SP-Clifton Nayyar-ul-Hassan took the victim from Darkhshan police station to a private location where he was allegedly subjected to torture and subsequently died.

Advocate Panhwar told Dawn that he informed the magistrate that Sub-Inspector Sanaullah Soomro had arrested the suspect Naeem in connection with an extortion case. But after his death, the SP attempted to ‘manipulate’ the situation by claiming that the suspect died of a heart attack.

It may be noted that SP Nayyer was transferred by Karachi police chief Imran Yaqoob Minhas on the same day when suspect Naeem died in police custody.

Also on Wednesday, Junaid, son of deceased Naeem, was also brought before the magistrate after completion of his initial remand period in the same extortion case in which his father was arrested.

During the proceeding held inside the judge’s chamber, Barrister Zainul Abideen filed an application on behalf of the legal heirs of the deceased to assist the prosecution.

He argued on behalf of suspect Junaid that the police did not obtain a warrant to arrest his client. He contended that it was merely a monetary dispute between Naeem and complainant Abdul Basit. He claimed that the police first apprehended his client and then registered the FIR.

The IO sought an extension in Junaid’s police remand but the court sent him to prison on judicial remand.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024