KARACHI, Aug 24: The two suspects, who had been burnt badly in Gizri police lock-up, recorded their statement on Tuesday before a judicial magistrate at the Civil Hospital.
The hospital sources said that the Judicial Magistrate-IV (South), Zulfiqar Ali, recorded the statements of the suspects, who accused police officials of sprinkling petrol on them and setting them on fire, they added.
Police, however, registered a case (FIR-152) against the two suspects, Saleem Khan and Ameer Zada, for attempting suicide. The police also started investigating the suspects at the hospital for attempting suicide.
Meanwhile, the police registered two separate cases against only four police officials for showing criminal negligence, as the suspects had allegedly immolated themselves in custody.
The four police officials, against whom the cases have been registered are, Gizri SHO Inspector Abdul Ghaffar Jumani, Guard Commander Head Constable Abid, ASI Faiz, and Constable Badaruddin.
The suspects were in the custody of the investigation wing of the police, but no case was registered against them. The officials of the investigation wing, who had been suspended, were inquiry officer, Sub Inspector Arif Usman, Station IO SI Manzoor Ahmed, shift duty officer ASI Faiz Ali, Head Moharrar ASI Mohammad Hanif, PC Salman Burney, PC Barkat Ali and PC Iqbal.
Apart from the suspension of the ASP and DSP, the registration of cases under the Police Order-2002 and Cr.PC had been ordered by the provincial police chief, the spokesman had claimed.
Meanwhile, the family members of the two suspects held a press conference at the Press Club on Tuesday afternoon. They claimed that the two suspects were picked up on Aug 9, from their homes. They were implicated in false cases, they alleged.
Sher Ali Khan, elder brother of the suspect, Saleem Khan, a labourer residing in Shireen Jinnah Colony, said Saleem was forced to confess all the crimes in which he had been implicated by the police. Saleem was also asked to pay Rs50,000, but his family could not afford such a big amount, he added.
His elder sister went to give him meal and a packet of cigarettes on Sunday night, but saleem was not in the lock-up. She gave the meal and cigarettes to a police guard, he claimed.
Niaz Parveen, sister of Ameer Zada, claimed that her brother was picked up on Aug 9 from his home and police implicated him in fake cases. The hospital sources said that the two suspects had more than 90 per cent burns and chances of their survival were remote. They were in precarious condition lying on hospital's beds.
The police had claimed that the two suspects were arrested on Aug 18, for their involvement in the incidents of robbery. They suffered burns on Monday morning inside the lock-up of Gizri police station.
Sources said that the suspects were about to disclose some names of some influential personalities, who were somehow linked with the criminal activities. They were also about to disclose the names of some police officials who were in league with the suspects, the sources added.
The sources said that the suspect, Saleem Khan, who served four-year term and was released recently, appeared to be frustrated in the lock-up and would say to his fellow inmates that he would not go to jail alone tic time. He told his inmates that he would disclose the names of big shots, who had patronized him, they added.
REMANDED: Two police officials, including an ASI and a constable, were remanded to physical custody of Gizri Investigation police till Aug 28 by judicial magistrate, South, adds APP.
ASI Faiz Ali and PC Badruddin were produced before the court. They were charged under section-155 (C) of the Sindh Police Ordinance, 2002, and were accused of gross negligence.