SHC hears case of 18 'mystery deaths' in Keamari district

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday heard the case pertaining to mystery death of 18 persons in Ali Muhammad Goth of Keamari district, ARY News reported.

DIG South, Advocate General Hassan Akbar and other officials appeared in the high court hearing.

Police in its report submitted that 10 cases of deaths have been registered adding that final postmortem reports are yet to come.

“Police is saying that the families not allowing postmortem,” Chief Justice Ahmad Ali Shaikh observed. “Advocate General shall explain, how could an inquiry be conducted without the cause of death,” top judge questioned.

“What will be procedure of the inquiry and what results will emerge from it,” he questioned. “A duty officer fails to perform responsibility, if he should be entrusted any task again,” Sindh Chief Justice asked.

“It has not been repeated if the accused of 2020 incident were determined,” the court remarked. “An inquiry officer has retired, while another has moved to some other place,” bench said.

It is to be mentioned here that at least 14 deaths had been reported in February 2020, whereas more than 300 patients complained having breathing problem in Keamari and hospitalized amid offloading of a consignment of soybean cargo from a ship.

The court summoned the procedure of inquiry and police rules and invited written reply from the AIG-Legal and the Advocate General.

“What should be consequences if a police officer fails to fulfill responsibility. What should be the procedure of inquiry if heirs avoid cooperating in such incidents,” the court asked.

The bench adjourned further hearing of the case for one week.