KARACHI, Jan 12 Two officials of the Anti-Car Lifting Cell were on Monday remanded in police custody till Jan 19 by a judicial magistrate in a case relating to the murder of four traders from Balochistan in an alleged encounter on Khalid bin Waleed Road.

The two suspects, suspended SHO inspector Malik Irshad, and constable Zafar, were produced before Judicial Magistrate (east) Inam Ali Kalhoro, who sent them for seven days in police remand.

According to the prosecution, four officials of the ACLC had allegedly killed the four traders in the limits of Ferozabad police station around midnight on Dec 31. Inspector Malik Irshad and constable Zafar were arrested on Jan 11 and 10, respectively, but the other two suspects were still at large, it stated.

A case was registered against the ACLC team under Section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Haji Lala Khan, the father of one of the four victims, after the Supreme Court ordered the police to register a case under Section 302 (intentional murder) of the PPC against the accused policemen.

Earlier, the police had registered a case under Section 319 (Qatl-i-Khata or manslaughter) of the PPC against the police officials after an inquiry into the killing of the four traders concluded that the incident was the outcome of criminal negligence of the police party.

Mumtaz Bhutto case

A judicial magistrate (south) adjourned on Monday the hearing of a case registered against the chief of the Sindh National Front, Mumtaz Bhutto, and his workers, till Jan 22 and directed the investigation officer to submit a charge-sheet.

The SNF chief and his workers were booked in a case relating to an attack, allegedly made by his party activists, on a Sindhi newspaper's office in Clifton and threatening its staff with dire consequences for not publishing an article by Mr Bhutto.

A case (FIR01/09) was lodged under Sections 147, 148, 149, 506B, 452, 504 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Dr Khair Mohamamd, the managing editor of the daily Awami Awaz, at the Frere police station. The police arrested Mr Bhutto in Larkana on Jan 3 and shifted him to Karachi. However, he was released on bail on Jan 5.

The SNF chief appeared in court on Monday.