Karachi DHA fight case takes new turn as court seeks police reply

A Karachi additional sessions court has issued notices to the South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Darakhshan Station House Officer (SHO) on a petition seeking registration of a first information report (FIR) over a scuffle at an apartment in DHA Phase 6.

KARACHI: A Karachi additional sessions court has issued notices to the South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Darakhshan Station House Officer (SHO) on a petition seeking registration of a first information report (FIR) over a scuffle at an apartment in DHA Phase 6.

The case follows a video of an altercation between residents of two apartments that went viral on social media last month. The incident also led to disciplinary proceedings against three police personnel over their alleged involvement.

The woman seen being assaulted in the video approached the court on Monday seeking directions for police to register a case against the alleged attackers.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Sessions Court Judge Abdul Zahoor issued notices to the South SSP and Darakhshan SHO and directed them to submit their responses by Wednesday.

The petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Muhammad Arif, told the court that police had failed to record his client’s statement under Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and register an FIR against the other party.

An FIR had already been registered on August 21 on the complaint of the woman accused of attacking the petitioner.

In her petition, the woman claimed that the alleged attackers were influential individuals and that she and her family felt unsafe following the incident. Her counsel also requested protection for the petitioners.

The lawyer said a separate petition had also been filed before the Sindh High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR registered against the woman and her brother. He said the petitioners had joined an ongoing inquiry into the incident.

The dispute attracted widespread attention after CCTV footage appeared on social media. The footage showed a woman carrying a dumbbell rushing toward another woman and allegedly striking her. Two individuals appearing to be police personnel were also seen restraining the woman being assaulted.

The footage further showed a man and the woman with the dumbbell arguing outside an apartment before individuals allegedly began banging on the door. At the end of the video, a man appeared to use a weapon to damage the CCTV camera.

However, the FIR registered at Darakhshan police station presented a different account of the incident.

The original FIR invoked several provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code, including sections related to assault, intentional insult, criminal intimidation, hurt, theft and common intention.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza later said the section concerning alleged theft of gold ornaments had been removed because the incident appeared to primarily involve an assault.

The court will now hear the police response before deciding the petitioner’s request for FIR registration.