Missing persons’ cases: SHC orders action against negligent SHOs

Police officers had submitted old reports as new in relevant cases

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered on Monday disciplinary action against police officers for failing to make and report progress in cases relating to alleged abduction of citizens by Rangers.

Headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, the division bench passed these directives to deputy inspectors general (DIG) of the relevant ranges of Karachi police from whose limits the paramilitary force allegedly detained citizens.

"The DIGs are directed to enquire as to how such type of officers are posted in the respective police stations as SHOs who do not know what statements they are furnishing in court," ordered the bench, which also comprised Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput. The bench was exclusively hearing dozens of missing persons' cases.



In his comments, Frere police SHO said efforts were under way to determine whereabouts of Muhammad Asif Khan, who was allegedly picked up from the Cantonment Railway Station by law enforcement personnel on April 27, 2013.

His wife, Musharraf Jehan, suspected that since her husband belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, it was the Rangers and other law enforcers that had taken him into custody.

At previous hearings, the police officers had been denying Asif's arrest or detention, and promising that efforts to trace him were ongoing.

During Monday's proceedings, the bench observed that the SHO had filed comments without showing any progress in the case and without realising that the same comments had been filed earlier. They then remarked that the officer's misconduct requires action against him.



"The matter is referred to Karachi DIG for taking appropriate action as to how these officers, without reading previous comments, are in the habit of filing the same comment again and again," ordered Justice Khan.

The Karachi DIG was directed to take appropriate disciplinary action against the SHO, as provided under the police rules, within 15 days and submit a compliance report by February 8.

Action against alFalah DSP

The same bench, meanwhile, ordered the relevant DIG to take action against alFalah sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) DSP Shakil Ahmed Sarfaraz for filing old comments in a case relating to the disappearance of Khalil Ahmed.

The petitioner, Muhammad Ilyas, had alleged that Rangers had taken away his brother-in-law, an employee of the Pakistan Telecommunication Limited, from his house in a raid in May last year. The judges noted that DSP Sarfaraz had re-filed old comments, adding that what he had done was simply change the date.



The bench directed DIG East to call for an explanation from the officer as to how without making any effort in the case he had submitted a report by stating it as the latest one.

It further ordered that in case the DSP is found guilty, appropriate action should be taken against him. Moreover, the bench ordered the in-charge of the joint investigation team to convene its fresh session to investigate the disappearance within 15 days and file a report. The hearing was adjourned till February 1.

Action against Awami Colony SHO

The bench also ordered DIG East to take action against Awami Colony SHO sub-inspector Khalid Hussain Abbasi, who too had filed old comments in a case relating to the disappearance of 17-year-old Zamin Abbas Naqvi.

Zamin's mother claims Rangers took her son into custody from his Korangi-4 residence on September 3, 2015.

When the judges enquired from the SHO whether he had gone through the comments filed in court, the officer replied in the negative.

The bench then ordered the DIG to enquire how such officers are posted as SHOs who do not know what statements they are furnishing in court. "This requires serious consideration," the judges stated, while calling for a compliance report from the DIG by February 8.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2016.