PAKISTAN: Three more persons disappeared after their alleged arrests by secret agents in Sindh province

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding abductions of three men who have been missing after allegedly being arrested by state secret agents in Sindh province. Interestingly, in all three cases, the alleged abductors came in a white double cabin jeep bearing same registration number GS-0162, which was followed by a red Toyota car without a registration number. The red Toyota had been used in the abductions of several political activists including Mr. Salim Baloch, the acting president of Jamhoori Watan Party, who was allegedly abducted by secret service personnel for a second time on 31 December 2006 (UP-001-2007 and UA-413-2006). The whereabouts of these three persons remain unknown and the police and the judiciary have so far not taken these cases seriously.

CASE DETAILS:

Mr. Cheetan Kumar, aged 45, was arrested by eight plain clothed armed men from his house at Bajeer Mohalla, Umer Kot district, Sindh province at around 6:45pm on 17 July 2006. According to his son Mr. Suresh, a student of Sindh University in Jamshoro, he, his father and one uncle were sitting in the dining room, when the armed men burst inside the house. The armed men then asked the names of the three persons. When they heard of the name Mr. Cheetan Kumar, they suddenly started to beat, kick and punch him. They then roughly pushed him outside the house. When his son Mr. Suresh tried to stop the armed men, he was also severely beaten by them. Mr. Cheetan was then put in a white double cabin jeep bearing registration number GS-0162 which was waiting outside the house. A red Toyota car without a registration number followed the Jeep.

Although Mr. Cheetan Kumar’s family reported his abduction to the Umer Kot police station, the police refused to register the case. According to the fact finding report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the Umer Kot police gave the impression that Mr. Cheetan Kumar had actually been picked up by the Wing 303 of the Field Investigation Unit (FIT), a unit of secret agencies. The head constable of the Umer Kot police station expressed his view that Mr. Cheetan Kumar could have been picked up by this secret agency in connection with the Bombay (Indian city) bomb blast that took place in early 2006. Mr. Cheetan Kumar’s family then filed a petition in the Sindh High Court; however, no progress has been made regarding this case.

According to the HRCP, Mr. Cheetan Kumar had been arrested from the Umer Kot district with suspicion of involvement in a terror incident from 2001 and sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Special Anti-Terrorist Court. However, he was acquitted by the Sindh High Court in 2005. At the time of his previous arrest, Mr. Cheetan Kumar had been reportedly severely tortured and abused.

In another incident, Mr. Gordhan Das alias G.M. Bhagat, aged 55, was reportedly picked up by law enforcement agents from the barbershop which was located on the opposite side of the Sessions’ Court of Umer Kot district in Sindh province in September 2006. Since then his whereabouts remain unknown. He was also abducted by undefined men who came in the same white jeep that was followed by the red Toyota. These vehicles are well known to local people for being used in cases of abduction and disappearances.

According to Mr. Gordhan Das’s son Mr. Om Parkash, when he and his father were sitting at a barber shop, four persons suddenly came in the white double cabin Jeep with blue lights on top and stopped the car in front of the shop. They then asked the name of his father and introduced themselves as personnel from a secret agency and told them that Mr. Gordhan Das was wanted for an investigation. After that, they forcibly dragged Mr. Gordhan Das into the white jeep and started to beat and kick him while covering his face with black cloth. According to the son, the men warned everyone around them that if they attempted to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) with the police, they would face the same consequences. Similarly, the Umer Kot police refused to register the case as an abduction and disappearance of Mr. Gordhan Das and allegedly said that they cannot file cases involving secret agencies from the federal government.

In another incident, 22-year-old Mr. Greesh Kumar, who is a recent electrical engineer graduate from the Mehran University in Hyderabad, Sindh province, was arrested and kidnapped by four persons from his flat at 4, 2nd floor Amir Terrace, Market area, Hyderabad, Sindh province on 17 August 2006. One of the abductors was in police uniform while the rest wore plain clothes. The four persons also came in the same white double cabin jeep followed by the red Toyota.

According to Mr. Greesh Kumar’s younger brother Mr. Santosh Kumar, the four abductors forcibly entered their apartment at about 7:45am on August 17 and introduced themselves as officers from the Investigation Branch of the Government of Pakistan. They then grabbed Mr. Greesh Kumar and began to assault him severely. When Mr. Santosh Kumar tried to stop them, he was also severely beaten and then tied up with ropes, put inside a room and had the door locked from the outside.

When the abductors took away Mr. Greesh Kumar, Mr. Santosh Kumar managed to get out of the flat after breaking one window of the room. He then quickly went downstairs where the people told him that his brother was taken away in the white jeep that was followed by the red Toyota. Since then Mr. Greesh Kumar’s whereabouts remain unknown.

After the abduction, mysterious telephone calls have been made to the victim’s house from unknown persons who claim that they had abducted Mr. Greesh Kumar for ransom. But when ever the family tried to negotiate the ransom, the telephone calls were disconnected. A report for consumption of the FIR was also filed in the Market Police Station in Hyderabad (FIR number: 76/06). However, no progress has been made so far regarding the victim’s abduction.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please immediately write to the relevant authorities listed below and demand their urgent intervention to locate the victims and ensure their immediate release.

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