News / National
Suspected car robbers shot dead in police custody
18 Apr 2012 at 08:08hrs | Views
The family of a suspected car robber who was reportedly shot death in police custody by Zimbabwe police has refuse to bury him until presented with a post-mortem report detailing the circumstances surrounding his death.
It is alleged that Tendai Batsirai Dzigarwi (20) and Emsin Ngundu (age not given) were arrested on March 18 for alleged car theft and were detained at Southerton Police Station.
One of the deceased's mother, Dorothy Chiwaridzo, Tendai Batsirai Dzigarwi's mother, says she was alerted by Ngundu's father that both accused persons had been shot dead by the police on March 19, a day after their arrest, while apparently they were trying to escape from police custody.
According to High Court papers presented by family lawyer Tawanda Zhuwarara, police told one of the deceased's mother, Dorothy Chiwaridzo, that they would give her son Tendai Batsirai Dzigarwi a paupers burial if she failed to collect and bury his body within 21 days.
Chiwaridzo last Friday applied for an urgent chamber application under Case Number HC4068 to bar the police from carrying out a paupers burial for her son because the family suspected foul play.
The two were arrested by police from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Vehicle Theft Squad.
Chiwaridzo says her son was arrested in here presence at House Number 207 Chamba Road, Westwood, Kambuzuma was sadistically assaulted by the arresting officers.
She said the police left with her son at around 7pm and that was the last time she saw him alive.
She says. on the day the post-mortem was done, she and other family members were present at the hospital but were denied a copy of the results.
"I am informed that my son was severely tortured prior to him being shot and killed. I have no idea if the post-mortem carried out by the State-appointed pathologist investigated this allegation or even reflects such evidence," said Chiwaridzo in her court papers.
Court papers also reveals that the member-in-charge at the Harare Central Hospital police post and the hospital chief executive were more concerned with generation of a burial order and never bothered to attend to the mother's queries, concerns and questions relating to her son's death.
Chiwaridzo said she had engaged legal practitioners to have a second post-mortem done but claims the police at Harare Central Hospital said she would not be permitted to do so at the hospital mortuary.
It is alleged that Tendai Batsirai Dzigarwi (20) and Emsin Ngundu (age not given) were arrested on March 18 for alleged car theft and were detained at Southerton Police Station.
One of the deceased's mother, Dorothy Chiwaridzo, Tendai Batsirai Dzigarwi's mother, says she was alerted by Ngundu's father that both accused persons had been shot dead by the police on March 19, a day after their arrest, while apparently they were trying to escape from police custody.
According to High Court papers presented by family lawyer Tawanda Zhuwarara, police told one of the deceased's mother, Dorothy Chiwaridzo, that they would give her son Tendai Batsirai Dzigarwi a paupers burial if she failed to collect and bury his body within 21 days.
Chiwaridzo last Friday applied for an urgent chamber application under Case Number HC4068 to bar the police from carrying out a paupers burial for her son because the family suspected foul play.
The two were arrested by police from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Vehicle Theft Squad.
She said the police left with her son at around 7pm and that was the last time she saw him alive.
She says. on the day the post-mortem was done, she and other family members were present at the hospital but were denied a copy of the results.
"I am informed that my son was severely tortured prior to him being shot and killed. I have no idea if the post-mortem carried out by the State-appointed pathologist investigated this allegation or even reflects such evidence," said Chiwaridzo in her court papers.
Court papers also reveals that the member-in-charge at the Harare Central Hospital police post and the hospital chief executive were more concerned with generation of a burial order and never bothered to attend to the mother's queries, concerns and questions relating to her son's death.
Chiwaridzo said she had engaged legal practitioners to have a second post-mortem done but claims the police at Harare Central Hospital said she would not be permitted to do so at the hospital mortuary.
Source - Byo24News
