THATTA, Oct 25: The Mirpur Sakro police arrested a district excise police inspector, three constables and a clerk for opening fire on a pick up which resulted in the death of a man and injuries to six others here on Saturday.
The SHO, Mirpur Sakro police station, Hamir Nahio, told this correspondent that the police arrested the inspector and his staff from the coastal belt.
Inspector Khaliquzzaman Qureshi, constables Mushtaq Lashari, Haji Umrani, Malik Mohammad Bux, and a clerk, Nisar Ahmed, were arrested after registration of an FIR under section 319 PPC.
All of them are being kept at the Gharo police lockup to avert any possible reaction from the public at Sakro, said a police officer.
Haji Abdul Ghani Gabol, Nazim Union Council Mirpur Sakro, Nabi Bux Oothar and Haji Abdullah Kumbhar told this correspondent that an excise police party, who were travelling in a private car (AAU-191), stopped a pick up (KG-938) in the outskirts of Mirpur Sakro town on Friday night. The Excise inspector demanded Rs500 from the driver, Mohammad Amin Hingoro, who said that he could only pay Rs100. However, the former insisted that he be paid Rs500.
Eyewitnesses said that to escape, the driver, Mohammad Amin Hingoro, accelerated the speed of his pick up. The Excise police started chasing it and opened fire. The pick up’s rear tyres were hit as a result of which it fell into a ditch, near the Affandi Farm, resulting in the death of Abdul Hakim, while its driver and five others — Rustam, Wali Mohammad, Abdul Rasheed, Abdul Aziz and Mehmood Ahmed — were injured.
The condition of Amin, Rustam and Wali is stated to be critical. All three have been taken to a hospital in Karachi.
When this correspondent contacted the excise and taxation officer, Thatta, Mohammad Ali Shaikh, he claimed that he was unaware of the details of the incident. However, he added that “such incidents often occur in professional assignments”.
The Nazim, Union Council Sakro, Haji Ghani Gabol, said the excise police had committed murder by killing an innocent citizen due to their greed and should be booked under section 302 PPC.
The Nazim alleged that the Excise police had made the lives of people miserable in this far-flung coastal area.