Umerkot blasphemy suspect killed in 'fake' police encounter: Sindh home minister

• Minister asks suspect’s family to register FIR against police officers.
• Mirpurkhas police tried to give “managed encounter” legal cover: report.
• Committee suggests “strict departmental action” against cops.

KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar on Thursday revealed that an investigation committee concluded that Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, the blasphemy suspect in Umerkot, was killed in staged police encounter as he pledged stern action against those responsible in the incident.

The medical professional was booked by Umerkot police under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly sharing ‘blasphemous posts’ on social media.

Dr Kunbhar was taken into "protective custody" on Sept 18 by the local police. Later, the suspect was transferred to Mirpurkhas but the next day he was shot dead by Sindhri police, what they called “an encounter”.

Sindhri SHO Niaz Khoso alleged that the doctor along with ‘accomplices’ opened fire at police. In retaliatory action, the suspect was shot dead whereas his accomplice managed to escape, he added. The doctor’s body was handed over to his relatives but a mob emerged again and torched it.

The alleged encounter prompted widespread public outcry, with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah taking notice of the incident and ordering the suspension of the Mirpurkhas DIG, SSP and other police officers.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the Sindh minister said the investigation committee led by DIG Pervaiz Chandio of Shaheed Benazirabad termed the alleged police encounter fake.

He said the Sindh Assembly had demanded the suspension of the cops involved in the alleged encounter and added that the suspension of a DIG and a SSP among other officials and the holding of a probe into the incident is rare instance.

Giving details of a 31-page detailed investigation report, Lanjar said that the probe team reviewed the CCTV footages and call data records (CDR) and traced the mobile phones.

“Our police officers are involved in this incident […] We are ordering a registration of first information report against them,” he noted, adding that they have apprised the chief minister of this investigation report.

Furthermore, he said, DIP and SSP Mirpurkhas have been suspended and an FIR would be registered against him. “At least six cases have been registered so far […] no one will be spared.”

“We have also briefed his [the suspect] family members on the inquiry being launched into the incident.”

He asked the doctor’s family members to register a case, saying: “If the family refuses to file FIR, then the state will.”

“Investigation was underway whether Dr Shahnawaz was innocent or not,” the provincial minister said, adding the inquiry report was based on the encounter itself, not whether the deceased had committed blasphemy.

Lanjar added that the inquiry committee was constituted for a “disciplinary investigation”, adding: “We have appointed a new DIG and the committee investigating the FIRs will comprise two SSPs from Umerkot and Shaheed Benazirabad.”

Following the investigation, Lanjar said, CM Murad will announce a compensation for the suspect’s family. “No extrajudicial incident is tolerable,” he concluded.

‘Investigation report’

According to the investigation report — a copy of which is available with Geo News, the inquiry committee “unanimously” agreed that “Mirpurkhas police killed him [Dr Shahnawaz] in a managed encounter and tried to give it a legal cover but failed”.

The committee analysed the CCTV footages, police documents, social media content, CDRs, Tracker data and “secret information collected from different sources”.

It noted that Umerkot police took the suspect into custody from Karachi, before transferring him to the custody of Mirpurkhas police.

“This illegal action of police officials brought very bad name to the Sindh Police, otherwise, which holds an outstanding history regarding maintaining religious equilibrium throughout the province of Sindh in such challenging times,” it stated.

The committee, in its report, recommended that the doctor’s family members record a statement and file a first information report (FIR) for murder under the concerned sections of law.

It also suggested “strict departmental action” against police personnel from both Umerkot and Mirpurkhas police who “celebrated” the killing.

Moreover, the report recommended that the cases be conducted by a senior officer, not below the rank of superintendent of police (SP), and preferably by the Counterterrorism Department (CTD) or crime branch.

“The whole episode was not seriously handled as per law and police rules, lacking overall command and failure to take decisions as enumerated in [the] legal framework of the country by the officers including DIG Mirpurkhas, SSP Umarkot, and SSP Mirpurkhas,” the report concluded.