950811

Javed Maseeh custodial death

Christian action body

condemns delay in

arrest of culprits

RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: The members of the Christian Action Committee former HMC councillors Nazeer Maseeh and Rufin Wilson, Richard Arif, Younis Gul and Saleem Jan Bhatti have condemned the delaying tactics adopted by the local administration and police in the arrest of the police officers involved in the custodial death of Javed Maseeh.

In a joint statement issued here on Friday, they charged that Neither the statements of witnesses had been recorded under Section 14 Criminal Procedure Code (statements before a magistrate) nor had the necessary items been sent to the forensic expert for chemical analysis.

They feared that this was being done with a view to tampering with the medical certificate in order to weaken the whole case.

The action committee regretted that despite a written agreement no judicial inquiry or departmental investigation had been instituted so far and the murderers were roaming about freely.

They warned that if the accused were not arrested and the written agreement was not implemented then they reserved the right to launch a protest movement.

It may be recalled here that Javed Maseeh, who had been arrested in a theft case, was allegedly tortured to death by "B" Section Police Station, Latifabad, on Thursday-Friday night last.

Meanwhile the action committee has organised a big protest meeting at the Christian Colony Unit No. 10, Latifabad, on Saturday to condemn the murder of Javed Maseeh in police custody and inordinate delay in the arrest of the accused police officers.

The meeting will be addressed by Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs, Hari Ram Kishori Lall and Christian members of Sindh Assembly Michael Javed and Saleem Khursheed Khokhar.

The Christian members of Sindh Assembly Michael Javed while talking to various delegations at his residence has demanded immediate arrest of SHO "B" Section Police Station, Haider Abbas Naqvi, ASI Sardar Khan and Mohammad Azeem Durrani, driver Nooruddin and other policemen allegedly involved in the murder of Javed Maseeh.

He said, jungle law was prevailing at all the police stations of Hyderabad while "B" Section Police Station had been converted into a torture house.