KARACHI: The son of a deputy inspector general (DIG) posted in Peshawar was killed allegedly by a police guard in Defence Housing Authority early on Saturday morning, according to officials.

Umair Shahab, 25, was strangled to death in his house located on Khayaban-i-Seher, Phase-VI, by guard Faqir Mohammed, said Clifton SP Dr Asad Malhi. The incident occurred at around 1am.

Initial investigation suggested that the murder of the son of Peshawar DIG Shahab Mazhar Bhalli was motivated by greed of money, said SP Malhi, adding that the suspect — who had asked the DIG’s family for Rs200,000 — had been arrested.

“Resistance put up by the only male member of the family and his sister’s presence of mind prevented a bigger tragedy as the guard wanted to eliminate the whole family,” said Karachi-South DIG Azad Khan said.

Sharing the initial investigation of the case, he said that the motive appeared to be money as the suspect — a police constable — wanted to loot cash and valuables from the family before fleeing.

According to DIG Khan, the guard had made preparations for killing Umair and his mother and two sisters. He had purchased a rope and a knife to tie up the three persons and then slaughter them.

The guard first made an attempt on the life of Umair — the only son of his parents — and killed him. In the meantime, Umair’s sister woke up and informed the police who reached on time and arrested the suspect.

The Clifton SP said that Mohammed had been posted at the residence of the Peshawar DIG for the past six months and lived in a servant quarter there. He was supposed to go to his native village in Kandhkot-Kashmor district on Saturday.

An official at the Darakshan police station, within whose jurisdiction the murder occurred, said that the Peshawar DIG had chosen the guard from Kashmor as he had served there as SSP before being promoted and transferred to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The victim’s body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, which referred it to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) for post- mortem as the former’s mortuary is under construction.

CHK additional police surgeon Dr Qarar Ahmed told Dawn that there were no rope signs around the deceased’s neck. “However, there were bruises on his neck, indicating the possibility of throttling.”

The exact cause of death would be determined after histopathological and chemical examinations of the body, he said.

‘Confession’

In his statement before the investigators and talking to the media from the lock-up, the guard confessed to having killed Umair.

“I needed Rs200,000 because I wanted to repay a debt in my native village,” he said.

He claimed that he wanted to go upstairs where the sisters and the mother of the victim were sleeping. But Umair, who lived in a room near the guard’s room, woke up and prevented him from moving towards the upper portion of the bungalow.

“I did not kill Umair intentionally — it was a scuffle that turned deadly,” the suspect was quoted by the media as saying.

Meanwhile, the victim’s father, DIG Mazhar, who had served in the Sindh police in different positions, arrived in the city.

Sindh Inspector General A.D. Khowaja, the Karachi-South DIG and other police officials met him.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2017