Naqeeb murder: Rao Anwar moves bail plea in court

KARACHI: Former SSP Malir Rao Anwar on Saturday moved an application in an anti-terrorism court seeking bail in a case pertaining to the alleged abduction and extrajudicial murder of South Waziristan youngster Naqeebullah Mehsud.

The ATC judge issued notice to the prosecution side to submit its response to the suspended police officer’s bail plea until May 14.

Anwar along with 10 of his subordinates and 15 other absconders has been arrested on charges of abducting Naqeebullah for ransom and later killing him along with three other detainees in a fake encounter on Jan 13 in the outskirts of the city.

The Supreme Court had taken notice of the death of Mehsud after the incident. The extra-judicial killing caused widespread outrage on social media and protests by political and religious parties.

The former SSP surrendered to the apex court on March 21 and subsequently was brought to Karachi to stand trial in the murder case.

On January 13, Rao Anwar had claimed to have shot dead four members of the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in an encounter near Shah Latif Town in Karachi.

Family members of one of the killed terror suspects, Naqeebullah Mehsud, alleged that he was killed in a fake encounter, triggering widespread public outrage.

Afterwards, a three-member inquiry committee, tasked to look into the allegations, termed the encounter a staged one and recommended action against Anwar and his team.

A first information report was registered on Jan 23 on a complaint of Naqeeb’s father against the sacked police officer and others in the light of the report of the probe team.

The case was registered against Rao Anwar and others under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 365 (kidnapping with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 344 (wrongful confinement for 10 or more days), 109 (abetment) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Sachal police station.