HYDERABAD, Dec 27: Independent witnesses are not coming forward to tell the facts leading to the double murder of a couple Shazia Khaskheli and Hassan Solagni, it was revealed during re-investigation of the case being conducted under the directives of provincial police officer Sindh, Syed Kamal Shah.

The re-investigation of the case was handed over to DPO Hyderabad (operations) A. D. Khawaja by the PPO.

A local trial court on Friday allowed 14-day time to the DPO for re-investigation after he submitted an application, seeking time for conducting the inquiries.

The preliminary investigations hinted at the involvement of a Mukhtiarkar and his brother, close relatives of Shazia Khaskheli, as mastermind of the incident.

Earlier, inquiry was conducted by the DSP investigation (rural), Imdad Hussain, who had arrested two more accused, Anwar Ali and Ghulam Nabi, and sent them to jail.

He was ordered to conduct inquiry by divisional inspector general of police (operations) Hyderabad region, Mushtaq Shah, after DIGP expressed dissatisfaction over investigation by the Sanghar police.

The DIGP appointed the DSP investigation and two inspectors for inquiry after he visited Sanghar and conducted preliminary investigation of the case at his own level by hearing viewpoints of different sides.

The DIGP had conducted investigation under orders of PPO as the Supreme Court had ordered the district and sessions Judge Mir Nabi Bux Talpur to conduct judicial probe.

He verified different reports, one indicating that the couple was gunned down by a firing squad after they were awarded death sentence by a Jirga.

The DIGP disapproved both these theories that the couple was killed by a firing squad or that any Jirga was held to settle the issue.

Sources said the DIGP noted that mere statement of police officials that three people Ali Sher, Karo and Chhutto Khaskheli had appeared at the police station Sanghar and confessed to have murdered the couple was not sufficient to prove the murder.

Currently five persons Ali Sher, Karo, Chuttho, Ghulam Nabi and Anwar Ali Khaskheli are in jail. The last two were arrested during re-investigations by DSP Imdad, who had also interrogated the taxi driver.

The driver told the DSP that there were around 10 to 12 persons who had kidnapped him with the couple and left them outside the city limits.

He said that he could not identified the accused as they covered their faces with a piece of cloth.

The DSP recorded statements of Anwar Ali, Ghulam Nabi to come to the conclusion as to where the planning of killing of the couple was made.

While the DSP was still investigating the matter, its investigation had now been handed over to the DPO Hyderabad.