Thana culture: Layyah torture victim moves court against cops

DPO orders arrest of four police officials.

LAYYAH:

A man claiming to be the victim of Layyah police brutality caught on video on Friday filed a petition at the Layyah district and sessions court, seeking action against officials involved in beating him allegedly at the behest of an MPA.

He also urged the chief justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the incident.

Abdul Qadir Khosa, a resident of Dera Ghazi Khan, told newsmen at the district press club that he had worked on the farms of a landowner Hussain Ashar in sub-district Chobara.

The 55-year-old said there was a land dispute between Ashar and MPA Qaiser Magsi.

He said Magsi had occupied the land for many years before Ashar took him to court and won the case.

He said he had been warned against working on Ashar’s land several times. He said on April 27, he, his mother, wife and children, were dragged out of their home by ASI Muhammad Nawaz and Constable Muhammad Zafar.

He said when they resisted, they were beaten by the officials.

He said Chobara SHO Yousuf Lashari arrived later and the SHO told the ASI to beat him.

He said at the time, the SHO got a call on his mobile phone and he said he had complied with “the orders” and would soon visit “the farmhouse.”

He said he said he was badly beaten and forced to kiss the feet of the ASI several times.

He said at some point he fainted and woke in Chobara police station.

He said the police demanded Rs50,000 for his release but let him go when he paid Rs35,000.

“I worked for a week to pay off the loan I had taken from Ashar to get out of jail,” he said.

He said he then left the village and moved back to Dera Ghazi Khan.

Layyah DPO’s spokesman ASI Muhammad Irfan told The Express Tribune that Khosa had not submitted a formal complaint.

Layyah DPO Ghazi Salahuddin later suspended and ordered arrest of four constables and ASI Muhammad Nawaz.

No action has been taken against the SHO, who is also part of committee investigating the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2014.