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A policeman was shot dead while a Rangers man was shot at and hurt as they scuffled over a “personal grudge” in Karachi’s Site area on Friday, according to police.
South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said, “The police constable Waseem Ahmed Abro, 30, posted at Gulshan-i-Maymar police was shot dead allegedly by Rangers sepoy Mohammed Noman, while he (Noman) was also shot in the foot by the deceased constable.”
“Initially, the injured Rangers sepoy claimed that the policeman was engaged in a roadside robbery with a passerby, but later on, it transpired that the incident was an outcome of some ‘personal grudge’ between them,” he added.
The DIG said during the initial probe, it transpired that both the deceased and the injured, dressed in civvies and riding separate motorcycles, reached the crime scene near Habib Bank Chowk in Site at around 10:45am.
Quoting witnesses, the senior officer said that after an exchange of abusive language and a scuffle, they fired upon each other. As a result, policeman Waseem sustained two bullet wounds on his abdomen and right forefinger and died on the spot.
While the Rangers sepoy Mohammed Noman posted at 34 Wing sustained a bullet wound to his thigh.
“The police immediately responded and shifted the deceased to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital,” the DIG added.
One 9mm pistol bearing number 193 MFAC (empty) and one 9mm pistol without a number, along with eight rounds and two motorcycles, both without number plates as per Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) record, were confiscated.
“The injured Rangers man on his own reached the Rangers Hospital in North Nazimabad,” the official said.
“The Crime Scene Unit, along with investigation officials, also reached the spot and seized material evidence from the crime scene.”
Keamari Senior Superintendent of Police Captain (retired) Faizan Ali also visited the crime scene. The CCTV footage near the crime scene has been collected and examined.
“The state of affairs and CCTV footage confirmed that Constable Waseem Ahmed and Rangers sepoy Mohammed Noman fired upon each other on a personal grudge,” said the DIG South.
“It was not an incident of robbery or other crime, added the senior officer. “We are registering a first information report on the complaint of the father of the slain police official, who is also a sub-inspector at Landhi police station,” said the DIG.
The DIG said the injured paramilitary officer was “stable” and in Rangers custody.
The official further said the initial investigation suggests that the personal grudge between the policeman and the Rangers sepoy could have been over a woman.
A first information report (FIR), available with Dawn.com, was filed at Site A Police Station under Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code upon the complaint of the victim’s father, himself a policeman.
According to the complainant, he received a phone call informing him that information about his son’s death was circulating in a WhatsApp group. “When I called my son’s phone, it was answered by Site A SHO Imran Afridi,” the complainant said, adding that he was instructed to go to Abbasi Shaheed hospital immediately.
The complainant identified his son’s body at the hospital morgue and was informed about the nature of the incident. “I found out through the media that the suspect identified himself as Rangers personnel,” the complainant stated, adding that the Rangers man had killed his son for unknown reasons and legal action should be taken.
Last year in May, A man, abducted by the Sindh Counter-Terrorism Department soon after his return from Iraq a couple of days ago, was recovered, and three policemen were arrested in a Rangers raid on the premises of the CTD’s Civil Lines office.
The Rangers’ action had caused the Sindh police a major embarrassment and led to the sacking of at least three officials from their posts.
In December of last year, the Sindh government extended the deployment of Rangers in Karachi for a period of one year.