Top cop who "tortured" Zardari in prison set for formal indictment

Karachi, Nov 19 : Najaf Mirza, a senior police officer, who is accused of attempting to kill Asif Ali Zardari in lock up a few years back, would be formally indicted in the case on November 28 before Additional District and Sessions Judge South Khawaja Nizaar.

Earlier, the trial court had supplied copies of the case papers and documents to the accused under section 265-C of Cr PC.

Mirza was admitted to interim pre-arrest bail for one day on Monday and on Tuesday, this was extended till November 28, when he would be formally indicted, reported the Daily Times.

Besides Mirza, the co-accused include Senator Saifur Rahman, his brother Mujeebur Rahman, former Sindh IG Rana Maqbool Ahmed, former Karachi DIG Farooq Amin Qureshi and Najaf Mirza, the then superintendent of Karachi Central Prison.

According to the paper, Zardari had filed a case against the above for attempting to kill him at the CID Civil Lines Police Station, where he was brought from Central Prison Karachi for interrogation in the double murder case of Justice (Retd) Nizam Ahmed and his only son, Advocate Nadeem Ahmed, who were allegedly gunned down by unidentified assailants over a plot dispute.

Zardari was later found injured with his tongue lacerated.

The investigators and police officials alleged that Zardari inflicted injury to himself with a water glass to evade interrogation. The victim was booked on charges of attempted suicide but was exonerated after a judicial inquiry carried out by the DJ Malir Salman Ansari.

ANI