Suspected killer of Dr Imran Farooq arrested

LONDON: In a major breakthrough yesterday, Metropolitan Police arrested a 34-year-old Pakistani on suspicion of the gruesome murder of Dr Imran Farooq in Edgware in a knife attack.

Met Police said the man, arrested at a residential address in Central London’s Camden area, was also suspected of involved in a robbery in October 2009. After the arrest, the man was taken to a north London police station where he was being interviewed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Specialist Operations department. 

Dr Imran Farooq, aged 50,was on his way home from work when he was attacked in Green Lane, shortly before 17:30hrs on Thursday, September 16. A close associate of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain and one of its founding members, Dr Farooq was attacked with a kitchen knife and a brick and was found suffering from stab wounds and head injuries by neighbours and his family.

The MQM politician was living in exile after fleeing Pakistan, where he lived underground throughout the military operation against his party, 11 years ago. He was granted political asylum in Britain after he convinced the authorities that his life was in danger in Pakistan. 

Detectives believe there are other people who may hold vital information about the attack and continue to urge them to come forward. A statement issued by the detective team yesterday said the police want to trace two men and speak to them in connection with the incident.

Officers investigating the case have previously issued an e-fit of one of the men, based on the information provided by the local witnesses who have so far come forward to give police key information.

The man, whose e-fit has been issued, has been described as of Asian appearance, aged in his late 20s or early 30s, 5ft 4ins to 5ft 6ins tall, of slim build, with piercing eyes, a pointed, pale-skinned face, short black/dark coloured hair, and a goatee-style beard. He was wearing a dark coloured baseball-style cap, according to the police. 

The second man is also Asian, aged in his 30s, of stocky build, 5ft 9ins to 5ft 11ins tall, with short black hair. The suspected killer of Dr Imran Farooq has been arrested on two suspicions but it is far from clear whether he is also suspected of involved in robbery of Dr Farooq or whether the robbery incident is a separate case. 

According to procedures, the 34-year-old man will be interviewed under caution. He will also be taped, filmed and will have the rights to have a duty solicitor. And if required, a language interpreter by his side will explain to the suspect his legal rights and implications of what he will say during the interview.

Police have 24 hours at their hands to either charge him and remand him in custody or release him on bail but if the police feel that it needs more time to grill the suspect then they will ask an inspector to authorise 72 hours for further questioning. After the expiry of 72 hours, the police can ask the local magistrate’s court to grant 7 days for further questioning.

The decision to charge a suspect or release him is usually made in the first 24 hours or within 72 hours, unless there are complicated issues involved. But The News understands that in this case, the police have watertight evidence at their hands and they are highly unlikely to ask the local magistrate’s for further 7 days for questioning.

Based on the interview, the police, in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), will have to decide whether to charge the suspect if it is satisfied with the available evidence or continue ongoing investigation and release him on police bail.

If the suspect is charged with robbery and murder offences, the police will present him before a magistrate’s court and will seek remand to keep him in custody within 24 hours. It is up to the magistrates who will decide whether to grant the bail or not but almost inevitably they will refuse bail on the likely grounds of the defendants being a ‘flight risk’ and the serious nature of the charge itself.

The accused’s trial is likely to start in 8 months to a year at the Old Bailey. The accused will be entitled to make a bail application, contact his family and seek medical help if needed. He will also have the facility to converse in his own language through an interpreter if there is a language difficulty. 

The accused will be sometime presented before the judges in court through video link in order to ensure his security. It takes months before the whole process is completed.

Separately, a police source told The News that active enquiries were continuing to find the killers of Dr Farooq and no other properties or persons were raided or searched respectively since this newspaper broke the news of the police search of two addresses in London under warrants linked to the murder investigation.

The police have also confirmed that they were “pursuing a number of enquiries nationally and internationally” and were keen for anyone, regardless of where they live or work, with information about the murder to come forward.


LONDON: In a major breakthrough yesterday, Metropolitan Police arrested a 34-year-old Pakistani on suspicion of the gruesome murder of Dr Imran Farooq in Edgware in a knife attack.

Met Police said the man, arrested at a residential address in Central London’s Camden area, was also suspected of involved in a robbery in October 2009. After the arrest, the man was taken to a north London police station where he was being interviewed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Specialist Operations department. 

Dr Imran Farooq, aged 50,was on his way home from work when he was attacked in Green Lane, shortly before 17:30hrs on Thursday, September 16. A close associate of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain and one of its founding members, Dr Farooq was attacked with a kitchen knife and a brick and was found suffering from stab wounds and head injuries by neighbours and his family.

The MQM politician was living in exile after fleeing Pakistan, where he lived underground throughout the military operation against his party, 11 years ago. He was granted political asylum in Britain after he convinced the authorities that his life was in danger in Pakistan. 

Detectives believe there are other people who may hold vital information about the attack and continue to urge them to come forward. A statement issued by the detective team yesterday said the police want to trace two men and speak to them in connection with the incident.

Officers investigating the case have previously issued an e-fit of one of the men, based on the information provided by the local witnesses who have so far come forward to give police key information.

The man, whose e-fit has been issued, has been described as of Asian appearance, aged in his late 20s or early 30s, 5ft 4ins to 5ft 6ins tall, of slim build, with piercing eyes, a pointed, pale-skinned face, short black/dark coloured hair, and a goatee-style beard. He was wearing a dark coloured baseball-style cap, according to the police. 

The second man is also Asian, aged in his 30s, of stocky build, 5ft 9ins to 5ft 11ins tall, with short black hair. The suspected killer of Dr Imran Farooq has been arrested on two suspicions but it is far from clear whether he is also suspected of involved in robbery of Dr Farooq or whether the robbery incident is a separate case. 

According to procedures, the 34-year-old man will be interviewed under caution. He will also be taped, filmed and will have the rights to have a duty solicitor. And if required, a language interpreter by his side will explain to the suspect his legal rights and implications of what he will say during the interview.

Police have 24 hours at their hands to either charge him and remand him in custody or release him on bail but if the police feel that it needs more time to grill the suspect then they will ask an inspector to authorise 72 hours for further questioning. After the expiry of 72 hours, the police can ask the local magistrate’s court to grant 7 days for further questioning.

The decision to charge a suspect or release him is usually made in the first 24 hours or within 72 hours, unless there are complicated issues involved. But The News understands that in this case, the police have watertight evidence at their hands and they are highly unlikely to ask the local magistrate’s for further 7 days for questioning.

Based on the interview, the police, in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), will have to decide whether to charge the suspect if it is satisfied with the available evidence or continue ongoing investigation and release him on police bail.

If the suspect is charged with robbery and murder offences, the police will present him before a magistrate’s court and will seek remand to keep him in custody within 24 hours. It is up to the magistrates who will decide whether to grant the bail or not but almost inevitably they will refuse bail on the likely grounds of the defendants being a ‘flight risk’ and the serious nature of the charge itself.

The accused’s trial is likely to start in 8 months to a year at the Old Bailey. The accused will be entitled to make a bail application, contact his family and seek medical help if needed. He will also have the facility to converse in his own language through an interpreter if there is a language difficulty. 

The accused will be sometime presented before the judges in court through video link in order to ensure his security. It takes months before the whole process is completed.

Separately, a police source told The News that active enquiries were continuing to find the killers of Dr Farooq and no other properties or persons were raided or searched respectively since this newspaper broke the news of the police search of two addresses in London under warrants linked to the murder investigation.

The police have also confirmed that they were “pursuing a number of enquiries nationally and internationally” and were keen for anyone, regardless of where they live or work, with information about the murder to come forward.



LONDON: In a major breakthrough yesterday, Metropolitan Police arrested a 34-year-old Pakistani on suspicion of the gruesome murder of Dr Imran Farooq in Edgware in a knife attack.

Met Police said the man, arrested at a residential address in Central London’s Camden area, was also suspected of involved in a robbery in October 2009. After the arrest, the man was taken to a north London police station where he was being interviewed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Specialist Operations department.

Dr Imran Farooq, aged 50,was on his way home from work when he was attacked in Green Lane, shortly before 17:30hrs on Thursday, September 16. A close associate of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain and one of its founding members, Dr Farooq was attacked with a kitchen knife and a brick and was found suffering from stab wounds and head injuries by neighbours and his family.

The MQM politician was living in exile after fleeing Pakistan, where he lived underground throughout the military operation against his party, 11 years ago. He was granted political asylum in Britain after he convinced the authorities that his life was in danger in Pakistan.

Detectives believe there are other people who may hold vital information about the attack and continue to urge them to come forward. A statement issued by the detective team yesterday said the police want to trace two men and speak to them in connection with the incident.

Officers investigating the case have previously issued an e-fit of one of the men, based on the information provided by the local witnesses who have so far come forward to give police key information.

The man, whose e-fit has been issued, has been described as of Asian appearance, aged in his late 20s or early 30s, 5ft 4ins to 5ft 6ins tall, of slim build, with piercing eyes, a pointed, pale-skinned face, short black/dark coloured hair, and a goatee-style beard. He was wearing a dark coloured baseball-style cap, according to the police.

The second man is also Asian, aged in his 30s, of stocky build, 5ft 9ins to 5ft 11ins tall, with short black hair. The suspected killer of Dr Imran Farooq has been arrested on two suspicions but it is far from clear whether he is also suspected of involved in robbery of Dr Farooq or whether the robbery incident is a separate case.

According to procedures, the 34-year-old man will be interviewed under caution. He will also be taped, filmed and will have the rights to have a duty solicitor. And if required, a language interpreter by his side will explain to the suspect his legal rights and implications of what he will say during the interview.

Police have 24 hours at their hands to either charge him and remand him in custody or release him on bail but if the police feel that it needs more time to grill the suspect then they will ask an inspector to authorise 72 hours for further questioning. After the expiry of 72 hours, the police can ask the local magistrate’s court to grant 7 days for further questioning.

The decision to charge a suspect or release him is usually made in the first 24 hours or within 72 hours, unless there are complicated issues involved. But The News understands that in this case, the police have watertight evidence at their hands and they are highly unlikely to ask the local magistrate’s for further 7 days for questioning.

Based on the interview, the police, in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), will have to decide whether to charge the suspect if it is satisfied with the available evidence or continue ongoing investigation and release him on police bail.

If the suspect is charged with robbery and murder offences, the police will present him before a magistrate’s court and will seek remand to keep him in custody within 24 hours. It is up to the magistrates who will decide whether to grant the bail or not but almost inevitably they will refuse bail on the likely grounds of the defendants being a ‘flight risk’ and the serious nature of the charge itself.

The accused’s trial is likely to start in 8 months to a year at the Old Bailey. The accused will be entitled to make a bail application, contact his family and seek medical help if needed. He will also have the facility to converse in his own language through an interpreter if there is a language difficulty.

The accused will be sometime presented before the judges in court through video link in order to ensure his security. It takes months before the whole process is completed.

Separately, a police source told The News that active enquiries were continuing to find the killers of Dr Farooq and no other properties or persons were raided or searched respectively since this newspaper broke the news of the police search of two addresses in London under warrants linked to the murder investigation.

The police have also confirmed that they were “pursuing a number of enquiries nationally and internationally” and were keen for anyone, regardless of where they live or work, with information about the murder to come forward.