HYDERABAD, Jan 15: The father of Roshan Palari, who was gunned down in an alleged police encounter, said that the respondent police officials had tried to cover-up their misdeeds and concealed the facts from the court.

In his written statement submitted before the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, through lawyer Faiz M. Qureshi, he claimed that the respondent sub-inspector of police, Taqi Laskani, posted at the Market police station, was the son of Dr. Madad Ali alias Gulab Laskani, another respondent, therefore it was crystal clear that Dr. Madad Ali wielded a lot of influence over police officials and it was also an admitted fact that there was a dispute between the petitioner and Dr. Madad Ali over land.

The petitioner submitted his written statement in response to the statements of respondent police officials, SHOs of Qasimabad and Hatri police stations, which were filed before the court earlier.

The petitioner claimed that the SHO, Husri, Hamir Bhangwar (now suspended), had concocted a different story in his para-wise comments in order to save his skin and had given details of cases against the petitioner and his son, Roshan Ali Palari.

The petitioner stated that his son was on bail in two cases, registered at the Husri police station against him but that did not mean that the police had license to kill any person in a fake police encounter.

He enclosed press clippings of a Sindhi newspaper containing news about the demotion of SHO Hamir Bhangwar on the directives of the DIG, Police, Hyderabad Range, Abdul Rauf Yusufzai, on the charges of murder of the petitioner’s son.

He further said that as far as list of cases against him, Wakoo and his deceased son, were concerned, all of them had been acquitted in such FIRs.

He said that Sub-inspector Muhammad Taqi was the main culprit in the whole drama although he tried to hoodwink by claiming that he was on leave when the encounter took place.

He claimed that he shuddered to think that no bona fide citizen would be safe in the country if police officials were not brought to book and this kind of hooliganism continued in future.

POLICE STATEMENT: The SHO, Qasimabad police station, Arshad Leghari, in his statement denied that there was any influence of Dr. Madad Ali alias Gulab Laskani or any other person involved in the case.

He claimed that co-accused in the case, Asad Majeedano, during investigation made startling disclosures about his notorious gang members.

He said that Roshan Ali was involved in two cases, Anwar alias Mino in five, Poroh alias Aali in seven, Nadir in one, and the petitioner, Yusuf Palari in five.

SHO Hamir Bhangwar added that the allegations levelled against him were false and that the petitioner and his son were hardened criminals.

The court took the statements on record and adjourned the matter to Jan 28 as Madad Ali Shah, counsel for Dr. Madad Ali, sought time to argue the case.

ROBBERY: Three unidentified armed dacoits looted 18 cellular phones worth Rs100,000 from a shop on late Monday night.

The dacoits barged into the shop called ‘Mobile City’ and snatched the mobiles under the eyes of its owner, Hyder Raza.