Third FIR lodged in gardener’s death, mob attack case

One of the men beaten by heirs of the deceased in critical condition

HYDERABAD:

A third FIR has been lodged on Monday over the incident concerning the death of a boy and the retaliatory mob attack on the residence of a revenue official in Hyderabad district on October 15.

Razia, wife of Qasimabad Taluka Mukhtiarkar Abdul Majid Khaskheli, became complainant in the case and nominated more than 40 men of the local Soomro community for leaving her husband and brother in law injured in the assault at their residence.

The first FIR was registered on the complaint of Muhammad Ismail Soomro, father of 16 years old Muhammad Usman whose body was found with a gunshot to his neck at Khaskheli's place where he worked as a gardener.

The in charge of Naseem Nagar check post of Qasimabad police station, inspector Inam Hussain Junejo, who was also injured in the attack while protecting Khaskheli brothers, registered a second FIR on his complaint, charging the community for attacking the police and Khaskheli family.

Meanwhile, the All Sindh Revenue Employees Association boycotted work and held demonstrations in many districts of the province on Monday in solidarity with their colleague. They demanded a high level inquiry to dig into the facts of the twin incidents, including the death of Usman, for which his community is blaming the two brothers, and the attack on Khaskhelis' home. The association condemned the savage attack at Mukhtiarkar's residence.

According to Razia, the crowd forcefully entered their residence, hurled abuses on her husband and brother in law and later started beating them cruelly with wooden sticks and other materials. She alleged that they torched a motorbike and some furniture besides damaging a car. "They dragged our women from their hair and dishonoured them," she claimed.

Majid and his brother Wajid were critically injured in the attack. Both of them were shifted to a private hospital in Karachi where the former is reportedly recovering, but the latter is said to be still not stable. She blamed the mob for taking away the dead body of their maid Usman, which was lying in a room of their house.

On Monday, DIG Hyderabad Sharjeel Kharal chaired a meeting over the issue. He directed the five-member investigation committee to probe all the three FIRs in a transparent way but without wasting time. The SP headquarters later informed that the reputable cop inspector Siraj Lashari has been made investigation officer (IO) of all the FIRs.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2021.