July 26, 2024
By Rashid Laghari
HYEDERABAD
On July 14, 25-year-old Sikandar Mullah was shot and injured in an alleged encounter by the police of Balri Shah Karim of Tando Muhammad Khan police station. Police shifted the injured man to Hyderabad Civil Hospital where he later died.
Upon hearing the news of her husband’s death, Sikandar’s 25-year-old wife, Atiya Mallah, committed suicide by ingesting toxic agricultural chemicals. Atiya was four months pregnant and expecting her first child.
Shahnaz Mallah, the mother of Sikandar, insists that her son was not a robber but a worker who was taken from their house and killed by the police.
Sikandar’s cousin, Ali Mallah, claims that Sikandar was handed over to the police by his uncle, only to be killed in a staged encounter. “Sikandar was a farmer in the village, and his cultivated land remains unattended”.
According to senior crime reporter, Zafar Hakro, cases of extrajudicial killings are on the rise in Sindh. “If the police catch a robber committing a crime, there are courts and laws in the country to administer justice. But that’s not how cases are handled here.”
Hyderabad-based lawyer and human rights leader GN Jarwar said that the prosecution exists to punish crimes, and it is the responsibility of the police to bring serious criminals to court.
SSP Tando Muhammad Khan, Abid Baloch, refused to discuss the Sikandar Mullah incident in detail. He however mentioned forming a joint investigation team for the case, promising more information later.
A police spokesperson claimed that Sikandar was a criminal who confronted the police and was accused of stealing motorcycle and mobile phone.
Within the last seven months, 18 people have been killed and 70 injured in police encounters in Tando Muhammad Khan, Hyderabad.