KARACHI, Aug 26: The detention mystery of alleged gangster Abdul Rehman Baloch alias Rehman Dakait has taken a new turn as Rehman's maternal aunt has finally broken silence regarding unexplained withdrawal of detention petition for her nephew from the Sindh High Court, alleging that the suspended chief and other police officials of the Lyari Task Force had forced her to withdraw the petition.

Former in charge of the LTF, SP Chudhry Mohammad Aslam, Inspector Sarwar Khan and Sub-Inspector Aziz Ahmed Sheikh had threatened that Rehman would be killed in a fake police encounter or would be shifted outside the jurisdiction of the Sindh High Court until petition was not withdrawn from the SHC, Ms Zubaida alleged in her fresh petition filed against Rehman's illegal detention allegedly by law enforcement agencies.

She said the respondents did not fulfil their promise to show detainee’s arrest despite withdrawal of the petition and now they have shown him as having escaped on Aug 23.

She expressed apprehension that ex-officials of the LTF intend to kill Rehman in fake encounter as they had attempted in Rasool Bux Brohi case as there was reward on the arrest of the detainee, alive or dead.

She also accused the respondents of filing false affidavits in the court showing that the detainee was not in their custody.

Insisting that Rehman is still in the custody of the respondents, she said the same is being concealed as SP Chudhary Mohammad is under arrest for murder of Rasool Bux Brohi in a fake encounter as Supreme Court has taken suo moto action in this matter.

She also feared that life of the detainee is in grave danger and he is likely to be inflicted harm by LEA.

The court was prayed to issue rule nisi for production of the detainee in the chamber as it gravely apprehended that if matter is taken up in open court, the respondents would frustrate the raid by removing him from the secret place where the detainee is being kept.

In the petition, LEAs were accused of arresting Rehman from Quetta on June 18 with his brother-in-law Wajid, daughter Atiqa 11, and his son Atique, 8, who have been kept him in an undisclosed location without producing him in any court of law and obtaining his remand.

On July 25, the petitioner’s counsel Omer Sial sought withdrawal of the petition from SHC, informing the court that certain developments have taken place.

However, the counsel sought permission from court that in case assurances extended by the authorities concerned do not materialize, the petitioner may be permitted to avail of any remedy as may be available, including invoking the writ jurisdiction.—PPI