HYDERABAD, Aug 30: The Hyderabad circuit bench of Sindh High Court on Wednesday sought an explanation from the DPO of Hyderabad and the SHO of Bhittai Nagar police station and directed them to appear in person before the court on the next date of hearing for filing a misleading statement regarding disappearance of two activists of a nationalist party.

The court passed the order on a joint constitutional petition, praying the court for the production of two activists of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), Sikandar alias Akash Mallah and Manjhi Chandio, before court along with list of cases pending against them.

The petition was filed by Imran Mallah, the nephew of Sikandar alias Akash Mallah, and Sher Ali, the brother of Manjhi.

They maintained that Sikandar Mallah is an A-class contractor and Manjhi is a sub-editor working for a Sindhi daily newspaper in Hyderabad and they both are activists of JSQM.

They added that both the detainees were present in Chandio goth, Bhittai Nagar, on May 16 when four persons arrived there and tried to kidnap them but on resistance and intervention of people they whipped out pistols and fired in air.

After the firing, the DPO of Hyderabad along with his escort, TPO of Qasimabad, SHO of Bhittai Nagar came there and took away detainees in government jeep of the DPO.

They said that the DPO shifted them in a white-coloured car, occupied by two persons at the gate of cantonment and the car went inside the cantonment area.

They pointed out that petitioners had seen it and thereafter they inquired from DPO Hyderabad, who assured them that both detainees would be produced before magistrate the next day.

They said that detainees had not been produced before any court for obtaining their remand but they are being detained in violation of sections 61 and 167 of Cr.PC and their fundamental rights guaranteed under Constitution are being violated.

The petitioners prayed the court to produce detainees before high court along with list of cases, registered against them.

The SHO of Bhittai Nagar in his statement, filed on May 25, had informed that Manjhi Chandio is involved in crime no 36/05 u/s 324 Qisas and Diyat and 353 PPC, 6/7 of Anti Terrorism Act and he is an absconder.

An identical statement was filed by the DPO, informing the court that Manjhi is an absconder. The officials had also denied charges that they had picked up JSQM activists and handed them over to any military agency.

The court noted that being senior official, the DPO filed the statement without verifying it.

Petitioner’s counsel Saqib Majeed argued that in said case detainees had been granted bail by the Sindh High Court.

He also produced Manjhi Chandio before the court, who filed an affidavit, stating therein that on May 16 he along with Akash Mallah were present in Chandio goth, Bhittai Nagar when four persons came and tried to kidnap them and on their resistance they restored to firing.

He said that few minutes later the DPO of Hyderabad, TPO of Qasimabad and the SHO of Bhittai Nagar police station arrived there and took them away in the jeep of the DPO.

He said that they were blind folded. However, on August 11 some persons dropped him near Naseem Nagar chowk and threatened him that if he approached the court he would again be picked up.

Sindh Additional Advocate-General Masood A. Noorani filed a statement of Lt-Col Khalid Iqbal Sahoo of the Ministry of Defence, submitting before the court that he needed time to find out whereabouts of Manjhi Chandio and Sikandar.

He said that despite best efforts the agencies concerned had yet to forward a report regarding two detained political activists.