The death of 19-month-old Ahsan, who was shot dead in an alleged police encounter near Safoora Chowk, Karachi, has been ruled as an accident by The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Dawn News reported.
The CTD team concluded that a four-member police team was pursuing suspects when the gun of a policeman, Constable Amjad, went off “accidentally” killing the child and injuring his father, Raja Kashif Shaikh, on April 16. The investigative team also found no evidence that the suspects opened fire on the policemen.
CCTV footage of the incident showed two policemen chasing the suspects on a motorbike and a shot being fired from the constable’s weapon. The pistol went off during the motorcycle chase due to potholes on the road, an official told the publication. The two other arrested policemen were not part of the ‘hot pursuit’ and they arrived at the scene after a considerable delay, he added.
According to reports, it is likely that the CTD investigative team clears three out of the four arrested policemen charge of manslaughter and indicts only constable Amjad for murder.
The Sachal police at first stated that the 19-month-old Ahsan was killed in an exchange of fire between the police officers and the suspects.
The CTD had been tasked to probe the incident after Inspector General of Police Syed Kaleem Imam and Karachi police chief Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh promised an independent and unbiased investigation. The two officials also issued an apology over the death of the child.
The CTD team concluded that a four-member police team was pursuing suspects when the gun of a policeman, Constable Amjad, went off “accidentally” killing the child and injuring his father, Raja Kashif Shaikh, on April 16. The investigative team also found no evidence that the suspects opened fire on the policemen.
CCTV footage of the incident showed two policemen chasing the suspects on a motorbike and a shot being fired from the constable’s weapon. The pistol went off during the motorcycle chase due to potholes on the road, an official told the publication. The two other arrested policemen were not part of the ‘hot pursuit’ and they arrived at the scene after a considerable delay, he added.
According to reports, it is likely that the CTD investigative team clears three out of the four arrested policemen charge of manslaughter and indicts only constable Amjad for murder.
The Sachal police at first stated that the 19-month-old Ahsan was killed in an exchange of fire between the police officers and the suspects.
The CTD had been tasked to probe the incident after Inspector General of Police Syed Kaleem Imam and Karachi police chief Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh promised an independent and unbiased investigation. The two officials also issued an apology over the death of the child.