The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has apprehended the medico-legal officer (MLO), Dr. Muntazir Mehdi, for allegedly concealing evidence in the extrajudicial killing of Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar last year.
FIA officials arrested Dr. Mehdi in Mirpur Khas, accusing him of omitting signs of torture from the autopsy report of the deceased.
FIA officials disclosed that they are interrogating Dr. Mehdi regarding police officers who may have participated in the custodial torture. The agency has charged Dr. Mehdi with murder, terrorism, and violations under the Custodial Torture Act.
Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar, a senior medical officer accused of blasphemy, reportedly died in a contrived police encounter in Mirpur Khas on September 19, following his arrest in Karachi by Umerkot police the previous day.
Sindh Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon prompted an inquiry committee to investigate the incident, uncovering police misconduct. The inquiry, initiated due to significant public outcry, indicated that Umerkot and Mirpur Khas police officials egregiously breached legal standards.
The Sindh High Court has since mandated that the names of all individuals implicated in Dr. Kumbhar’s death be added to the Exit Control List (ECL), ensuring they cannot leave the country. Originally, the authorities registered a case against 45 people, including senior police officials, following the inquiry’s conclusion that the police encounter was staged to legitimize the unlawful killing.
