KARACHI, Aug 17: A young man was shot dead early on Friday morning in illegal police custody by his captors behind the Al-Falah police station. Witnesses said the police booked and arrested three policemen as the relatives and neighbours of the victim surrounded the police station in the small hours of the morning.The 26-year-old victim, Abdur Rahim Baloch, was living with his family just two houses away from the police station.

The family alleged that a party of investigation police demanded Rs50,000 for the release of Abdur Rahim who, according to the police, was absconding in a murder case.

Area SHO Changez Khan told Dawn that a police investigation team, headed by ASI Basharat and comprising Head Constables Yousuf and Nazir and Constable Waheed Gul, were booked on the complaint of the victim’s brother Abdullah Baloch. Three of the investigators were arrested while Waheed Gul escaped arrest.

The victim’s maternal uncle, Mumtaz Soomro, told Dawn that the police had contacted the victim’s brothers, Abdullah Baloch and Abdur Rehman Baloch, on August 13 and asked them to produce Abdur Rahim to record his statement in a case.

He said Rahim was an electrician with a private firm and was posted in Lahore for the past eight months, adding that Rahim had reached Karachi around 6.30pm on Aug 15.

“Abdullah took Rahim to the police around 8.30pm on the same day,” he added.

Soomro said the police asked the victim’s brother to leave him with them.

“They then asked Abdullah to pay Rs20,000 if he wanted his brother to go with him,” he alleged.

The victim’s maternal uncle said the next morning the family gave Rs10,000 to ASI Basharat, who asked for Rs50,000 for the release of Abdul Rahim.

“They told us that they would withdraw Rahim’s name from the case if we pay them the money,” he added.

Soomro said that around 3am Rahim’s brother Abdur Rehman ran out of his house when he heard gunshots.

“He rushed straight to the police station and asked about his brother. He was told by the policemen there that his brother had been taken outside by the investigation police staff,” he added.

He said the policemen advised Abdur Rehman to go behind the police station and when he reached there, he found his brother in a pool of blood with policemen standing around him.

Sources said the investigation police had pressurised the victim’s family to surrender Abdur Rahim Baloch to them as he was an absconding accused in a murder case.

They said the case pertained to the killing of 15-year-old Osama Shaheen in Anwaar-i-Ibrahim, Al-Falah, during a mobile snatching incident in April last year and the case was registered initially against unknown bandits.

The sources said later the Anti-dacoit and Robbery Cell (ADRC) arrested a suspect, Farrukh alias Fari, who, during interrogation, disclosed to have been involved in the murder along with Rahim Baloch.

They said the police submitted the final charge-sheet of the case in court, showing Abdur Rahim Baloch as an absconding accused.The SHO said the investigation police, however, did not effect the arrest of the absconder and kept him in their illegal custody for two days.

“Around 2am, HC Yousuf ran into the police station to say that Rahim was shot dead by two unknown attackers,” he added.

The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for autopsy.

Hospital sources said the victim received at least five bullets from very close range.