A district court turned down a bail plea of a former station house officer (SHO) of the Orangi Town police station, Azam Gopang, in a case pertaining to the killing of a teenage student, Arsalan Mehsud, during an allegedly fake shootout.
Eighteen-year-old Mehsud, son of a local Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader, was shot dead in Orangi Town in December last year. Gopang, police constable Tauheed and his friend Umair were booked for the murder. The ex-SHO was also nominated in another FIR for the possession of an illegal firearm allegedly used in the crime.West Additional Sessions Judge Zameer Solangi dismissed the bail application of Gopang after hearing arguments from both the defence and prosecution sides. Advocate Qadir Khan Mandokhel, who represented the complainant, contended before the court that concrete evidence was available to prove the murder charges against the accused.Gopang and the constable, both in plain clothes, had a civilian with them when shots were fired at the victim, he pointed out, saying that an illegal weapon was used to kill Mehsud.A forensic examination of the weapon, empty bullet casings, the statements of eyewitnesses and other evidence points to the involvement of Gopang in the murder in a staged shootout, said the counsel, pleading that the court reject the bail plea. On the other hand, the defence counsel rejected the charges against the accused, and requested that the court release the former SHO on bail.
The FIR of the case was registered against Gopang, Tauheed and Umair under Section 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder), 34 (common intention), 109 (punishment of abetment) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code.Badshah Khan, the complainant of the case, said his nephew had gone for private tuitions with his friend Yasir on a motorbike as per routine.
He said they were returning at around 8:30pm when they were shot and injured.Khan said his nephew was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, adding that upon reaching the hospital, he got to know that the teenager had died. He said a policeman, Tauheed, who was on intelligence duty, had fired shots at the teenagers.
