KARACHI, April 19: A suspect arrested by the Gulberg police on Sunday died in the police custody on Monday morning. SHO Gulberg police station Arif told Dawn that Ghulam Fareed was arrested in connection with a house robbery committed in Block-12 of F.B. Area.
He said that some maids had robbed a house in F.B. Area and Fareed's wife was also among them. The complainant, Shahid Zubair, had told the police that he was deprived of Rs47,000 cash and gold ornaments. Apart from the three house maids, Mr Zubair also nominated Ghulam Fareed in the case. On Sunday evening, the SHO said, police picked up Ghulam Fareed.
Police said that the suspect was a watchman at Zubair's house and on his recommendation the landlord had hired the three house maids. Following the arrest, Ghulam Fareed complained of chest pain for which he was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. However, he was brought back to the police station twice during the night, police claimed.
On Monday morning, police said, Ghulam Fareed again complained of pain while he was being taken to the court for remand. However, he died before he could be shifted to hospital, police said.
The postmortem examination of the suspect was carried out at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in the presence of a magistrate. His autopsy report was reserved for chemical examination.
SUSPENDED: IGP Syed Kamal Shah on Monday has suspended the investigating officer and ordered departmental action against him following death of an accused allegedly in the custody of Gulberg police, add agencies.
According to a police spokesman, the accused Ghulam Fareed was arrested on robbery charge. While on way to a court, he complained of cardiac pain and was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where a doctor pronounced him dead on arrival, he claimed. He, apparently, died of heart attack, he a added.
However, the spokesman maintained, an investigation into the cause of his death was being conducted under section 176 and the postmortem report was awaited.
CCPO Asad Ashraf Malik has warned that if any police official was found responsible for the death, he would be booked and have to face stern action. Meanwhile, adviser to the CM on Home Aftab Ahmed Shaikh has taken serious notice of the custodial death of one, Ghulam Fareed, son of Khuda Bux, a resident of Kutchi Abadi, Block-12, F. B. Area.
According to initial inquiry reports reaching the adviser, Ghulam Fareed was brought dead to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital by SI Investigation, Mohammed Ilyas. The SI had claimed that Fareed died while on way from Gulberg to the hospital. However, the concerned MLO, Dr Mazhar, said in his report that the death occurred while Fareed was in police lockup.
Mr Aftab Shaikh summoned DSP Investigation, Gulberg Town, Tariq Saeed, and SI M. Ilyas to his office and told them that if such an incident had taken place in the police station, it was most regrettable.He observed that this attitude by police brought a bad name to the department was bound to cause defamation.
Mr Shaikh warned of stern action against those responsible, if it was proved that the death had occurred due to torture. No guilty would be spared, he added. He reminded the police personnel that they were custodian of people and responsible to ensure security to their life and property.