Sher Afzal Abbasi, son of Mir Afzal Abbasi of Bakriyal city, submitted an application in October at the court of district and sessions judge Mansehra under Section 22-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, seeking registration of a criminal case against Shinkiari Police SHO and seven of his subordinates. Sher accused them of arresting him unlawfully, implicating him in a fake case of selling narcotics and subjecting him to severe physical torture during detention.
After listening to arguments from both sides, the court of district and sessions judge Salahuddin Khan issued orders for registering a criminal case against the respondents.
When approached, Shinkiari police confirmed a case has been registered under Section 156-D of the Police Order 2002 against SHO Sheeraz Khan, ASI Jan Nisar Khan, constables Tanvir, Yasir and three others. Police said the Mansehra DPO has referred the case to Inspector Amjad for investigation.
A source at Shinkiari police station said Sher was arrested on September 16, from Bakriyal city and the SHO and his raiding party reportedly recovered two kilogrammes of hashish from Abbasi’s possession. Consequently, a case was registered under Section 9 of the Control of Narcotics Substance Act.
Advocate Shafaht Khan termed the registration of an FIR against the SHO and his subordinates a positive step towards keeping a check on custodial abuse, which he said is rampant in police stations of Hazara. Khan said under Section 156-D of the Police Order 2002, a police officer or personnel who inflicts torture on any person in his custody is liable for imprisonment of up to five years along with a fine. He said this was the first case where an SHO and his subordinates were directly facing torture charges.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2014.
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