HYDERABAD, Feb 7: The home secretary of Sindh was directed the other day for appointing Mirpurkhas district sessions judge as inquiry officer to investigate into the circumstances that led to the death of Sawan, 16, at the hands of police.

Justice Mohammad Mujeebullah Siddiqui of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad Circuit Bench, passed the orders to submit findings of the inquiry within two months.

Sind Additional Advocate General Masood A Noorani had proposed an inquiry against district jail superintendent, civil surgeon, staff of Civil Hospital, Mirpurkhas and Kunri Police Station SHO who were held responsible in the petition filed by Megho, father of Sawan.

State Counsel Noorani noted a number of contradictions in the comments of the respondents, including the controversy over correct date of death.

Having gone through the entire case, Mr Noorani argued that Sawan was died because of the police torture, and negligence of the civil surgeon and jail superintendent.

He said, it appeared as if respondents— Akbar Dars, Bahdro and Waheed— residents of Rindki, Mirpurkhas district, were primarily responsible for the death of Sawan because they had tortured him prior to the police action.

Megho had sought help of the Special Task Force of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and filed a petition in the case by Advocate Ali Ahmed Taqvi.

The father said Sawan had been working, along with his family members as Hari on the lands of Akbar Dars, for the last seven years. But the Zamindar had not paid for his services during the whole period despite repeated demands.

He said, when Sawan demanded a share in the earning from the crops, Akbar Dars tortured him with the help of his servant Bahdro. Then Sawan had been handed over to Kunri Police Station in an unconscious state where he was kept for eight days, and remanded to judicial custody.

Ever since, he said, his son remained seriously ill owing to severe torture of police and his landlord. Then Sawan was sent to the civil hospital Mirpurkhas where he died on July 4, 2001.

The petitioner held jail authorities, Kamdar , Zamindar and the police responsible for his son’s death.

He also said the civil surgeon had not provided proper treatment to Sawan.

Since the respondents were very influential they got tampered with the post mortem report of his son and misguided the court.It was a clear case of murder, he added.