The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued guidelines for the investigation of heinous cases in the province and ordered that special teams should be formed not below the rank of sub-inspectors for investigation of such cases. The IGP Sindh shall ensure that sufficient efforts are made in this regard, a single bench of the SHC headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar ordered and directed that progress report shall be submitted with the court.
The bench issued these directives in pursuant to order dated 26.02.2019 in a petition for non-redressel of grievances by the police. A report submitted showed that 1,56,077 FIRs are pending under A-class wherein yet culprits are to be arrested; crime is to be unearthed and delinquents are to be sent up for the trial.
With regard to bifurcation of heinous case, Additional Prosecutor General Sindh and Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, contended that they need further time and at this stage they have bifurcated the cases of whole interior Sindh wherein heinous cases are 19,064 whereas they are working on bifurcation of heinous cases in Karachi region.
It is further contended by the SSP crime branch that IGP Sindh has issued directions with regard to establishment of victim support centers all over Sindh, accordingly such notification shall be placed on record on next date of hearing of the petition.
The bench observed that since this matter is pending since 19.12.2018; repeatedly various directions have been issued by orders dated 19.12.2018, 24.01.2019, 06.02.2019 and 26.02.2019 respectively to Sindh Police with regard to mechanism for fixation of cases submitted under A-class by the magistrate and establishment of district cells regarding arrest of accused persons in above referred mountainous figure of cases.
The court ordered MIT to further repeat such directions to the magistrates with regard to order dated 26.02.2019. Representative of Law Department contended that the Law Department is not aware of the Sindh Criminal Courts Rules 2012. However, Additional Advocate General and representative of Law Department assured that Sindh government will examine the same and will proceed further for legislation in accordance with law.
With regard to the case of petitioner is present, court was informed that by order of this court, investigation was assigned to inspector Farooq, PS Aziz Bhatti, who has been suspended and now no information who shall conduct investigation in his case. SSP Crime branch contended that grievance of petitioner shall be redressed during the course of the day. The court also ordered for filing of interim report with regard to legislation in this regard.