The Sindh High Court summoned the investigating officers along with the records on the request of the lawyers to conduct a judicial inquiry into the incident related to the killing of four unmarried villagers and injuries to others including a woman in Skarund Mari Jalbani.
In front of a two-member bench headed by Justice Nimatullah Phalphoto, a hearing was held on the judicial inquiry into the incident related to the killing of 4 unmarried villagers and the injury of others, including a woman, and the request of the lawyers for the arrest of the accused.
Haider Imam, the petitioner’s lawyer, presented the report of the Human Rights Commission regarding the tragedy. Advocate Haider Imam stated that according to the report of the commission, force was used improperly. The court made the report of the Human Rights Commission part of the court record.
The court inquired from the petitioner’s counsel that the chief minister has constituted an inquiry committee, why they are not approaching it. Haider Imam stated that there are extreme reservations on the SSP report, it is not in the right direction. How can an officer who is calling citizens terrorists in this court, be expected to conduct a fair inquiry in villages hundreds of miles away? There are still 4 to 5 citizens including Liaqat Jalbani in police custody.
SSP Nawabshah said that there is no citizen in the custody of the police while the police were unarmed on the day of the incident and the weapons were with the rangers.
The court remarked that the Sessions Judges had conducted a good inquiry in the past, appointing a Sessions Judge.
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the matter is serious, therefore an inquiry by a sitting or retired judge of the High Court is necessary. The court remarked that a request regarding the High Court judge’s inquiry should also be sent to the Chief Minister, perhaps he would consider it. Let the police do their job, let the witness statements be recorded.
The lawyers argued that the same killer and the same investigating officer how is this possible.
Justice Amjad Ali Sohto remarked that Allah has given us wisdom, we will decide according to it, but let the evidence be collected. The court directed the petitioner to keep an eye on the flaws in the investigation and cooperate in removing them.
The court adjourned the hearing of the application to November 1 by summoning the investigation officers along with the records for the next hearing.
In the petition filed, the position was taken that a judicial inquiry should be conducted into the incident and the accused involved in the incident should be arrested immediately.
It should be noted that on September 28, during a raid in the village of Mari Jalbani in Skarund, four people were killed and twelve were injured. Later, the residents of the area staged a sit-in with the dead bodies on the National Highway, so the caretaker chief minister took notice and set up a committee to investigate.
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