KARACHI: The policemen allegedly involved in the assault of a woman and her family in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) have been identified.
An influential woman, Maryam Raza, assaulted her neighbours with the assistance of police personnel in the Khayaban-e-Bukhari area of DHA. The police later arrested the victims and registered a theft case against them.
CCTV footage of the incident later surfaced on social media, triggering controversy and raising questions over the role of the police personnel involved.
Following the incident, Karachi Additional Inspector General (AIG) Azad Khan directed the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South to conduct an impartial inquiry and submit a report within three days.
The two policemen seen in the CCTV footage were identified as Haider and Saqib. Both officials are posted at Korangi Police Station and belong to Korangi District.
The two policemen were summoned to Korangi Police Station on Sunday, where their statements were recorded by the head moharrir.
The policemen also appeared before the DIG South as part of the inquiry.
The three Darakhshan police officials involved in the incident were also summoned to the office of the DIG South for questioning.
The personnel who were seen dragging the victim and placing him into a police vehicle belonged to the Darakhshan Police Station. They included ASI Aftab Mangi, Safdar and driver Yousuf.
Read More: Video: Influential woman assaults neighbours with police help in Karachi
Police officials said the Darakhshan police personnel reached the scene after Madadgar-15 received an emergency call. Action was subsequently taken based on information received from Madadgar-15 and Darakhshan Police Station.
According to police, the man resisted arrest, and the officials had to drag him towards the police vehicle because of his strong resistance.
Officials said other policemen seen coming up the stairs during the incident were personnel from the Madadgar-15 emergency response service.
Officials also revealed that Madadgar-15 personnel had not been cooperating with the inquiry. Police said they had twice asked the service to send the concerned personnel to record their statements.
Police officials warned that if the personnel failed to appear before investigators, a formal letter would be sent to Madadgar-15 the following day.
The affected family and the women accused of assaulting them were also summoned to appear before investigators. However, neither the affected family nor the accused women appeared before the inquiry team.
The DIG South said the inquiry would be completed and its findings submitted to the police chief.
