HYDERABAD: The district and sessions court was informed by Hyderabad police range DIG Pir Mohammad Shah on Saturday that a two-member team had been formed in compliance with the court orders to probe the killing of a man allegedly by some police and CIA officials in custody. The police had declared that the man, Farhan Siyal, was killed in an encounter.

The court had put the DIG on notice two days back afterreceiving an application from Siyal`s sister, Ms Reshma, who is fighting for justice in the alleged extrajudicial killing.

The DIG was ordered on April 18 to form a team to conduct a fair investigation into the matter and submit a report to the court on May 10 but he failed to comply with the order, prompting the applicant to file an application in the court seeking registration of FIR against the DIG for non-compliance of the court order.

The additional district judgeVII was informed about the team`s formation when the courttook up the application for hearing. A board comprising SSP Thatta (chairman) and Hyderabad SSP and SP (legal) Hyderabad range as members was constituted to examine FIR under sections 324, 353, 34 PPC and 25-A Sindh Arms Act filed at Phulelli police station.

The DIG said that recommendation for the board was sent to DIG Crime and Investigation Karachi to seek necessary permission. On receiving approval from the competent authority on April 28, investigation of the case was transferred to ASPMajida Parveen, SDPO Matli and DSP Abrar Awan on May 5 for further investigation with directives to submit compliance reporttothe court.

He said that ASP/SDPO Matli and DSP complaint cell Badin had been strictly directed to submit progress report to this court on May 13. Since the compliance of April 18`s order had been made, therefore the present application be dismissed, he said.

On April 18, the court had ordered that a team of two police officials, not below therank of ASP from any district other than Hyderabad would conduct a thorough investigation into the FIR for the alleged police encounter.

The court said the team would consider all aspects of the case and especially the applicant`s version. All parties, the order said, had the right to produce evidence in support of their claims and the team would be at liberty to call for verification of all evidence including weapons, bank accounts, mobile phones, cause of death including exhumation of the body of Farhan Siyal.