KARACHI, Aug 23: Police on Wednesday formally arrested two more police officials for their alleged involvement in the killing of Rasool Bux Brohi. “DSP Irfan Bahadur and SHO of Shershah police station Safdar Shah have been arrested in this case,” a senior police official confirmed and, requesting anonymity, added that DSP Bahadur was being questioned also in connection with Rehman Dakait’s escape from police custody. Official sources also stated that SHO of Kalri police station Baharuddin Babar, along with two constables, had been detained by police soon after Rehman’s escape on Monday.

Sources claimed that Inspector Babar was being interrogated by officials of the intelligence agencies till out going to the press.

They said that intelligence operatives also questioned the former chief of the Lyari Task Force, SP Aslam Khan, at a private hospital late on Tuesday night. He was under treatment after being admitted there a couple of days back.

Aslam Khan, who was shifted to the Central Prison Karachi on Wednesday morning, is already under detention as the main accused in Rasool Bux Brohi case.

Sources said that before his escape, Rehman Dakait had been kept in a building located in Metroville, Site, in the limits of Pirabad police station. The building is reportedly owned by Inspector Baharuddin Babar.

On early Monday morning, Rehman’s men came at the building in two cars, overpowered the two police guards, trussed them up and escaped along with Rehman, taking away two police rifles, sources said.

The third police guard had not turned up for duty on Monday night. However, he was detained by the police later, the sources added.

Rehman Dakait had been arrested in late 1996 for his involvement in 26 criminal cases. He managed to escape from the police custody in 1997 while he was being taken to a court for hearing.

Some police officials conceded a rift in the rank and file of the police department over the arrest and escape of the Rehman Dakait.

City police chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui, while addressing a press conference on Tuesday, refused to comment on Rehman’s escape, insisting: “We never arrested him… how can I comment on his escape?”

Rehman Dakait was captured on June 18 from a posh neighborhood of Quetta by the Lyari Task Force. Since then, police never officially acknowledged his arrest. He was in the hands of some intelligence agencies where he was grilled before being handed over to the Lyari Task Force. He made his escape good on Monday night with the help of his gangsters while he was in LTF custody.

The Lyari Task Force was established in January 2005 and Aslam Khan was posted as its head.

On Aug 20, SSP Investigation Zone II, Niaz Ahmed Khoso, who was assigned the task of investigating the Rasool Bux Brohi murder case, stepped down from his office, citing “immense pressure from certain quarters for the release of the accused in the case.”