KARACHI, March 21: Three police officials were put behind lockup and a murder case was registered against unknown persons following the killing of a man and his sister near Sakhi Hasan on Monday night. The police claimed that they had been chasing bandits when two civilians Feroze and his sister Sabiha were killed and his brother Bhola and daughter Afsana injured in the crossfire. However, sources said area people witnessed that police shot the civilians to death.

Following the incident, area people pelted vehicles with stones, set a bus ablaze and roughed up police as they reached to control the situation.

On Tuesday, police picked up HC Liaquat and Shaukat and constable Shahid. ASI Abdullah was still absconding, police said. However, instead of registering FIR against the police officials responsible for the incident, the case was lodged against unknown killers. Sources said that police were trying to cover up its negligence and trying to prove the civilians as criminals.

The bodies and the injured were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital by area people as the police disappeared soon after the incident from the spot. Following the autopsy, the bodies were shifted to Edhi morgue.

Sources said that a man identifying himself as Ayaz, son of Feroze, came to the Edhi morgue late on Tuesday night and said that he would come again to receive the bodies.

The injured Afsana was later shifted to a private hospital. Her mother, Salma, claimed that she would collect the bodies soon as arrangements were being made to take them to Iran for burial.

The injured Bhola, who disappeared from Abbasi Shaheed Hospital mysteriously, has been located in a private hospital by the police. In his statement to the police, he said he was going with his family to have dinner when a stray bullet hit him.

Police said that the family possessed dual nationality of Iran and Pakistan, and resided in Shah Faisal Colony.