Farmhouse bust: Suspects decry police for raid, outrageous charges’
Man claims paying Rs25,000 bribe to police; victims plan to petition high court
PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Several youngsters, who had been arrested by the police during a raid on an overnight party at a farmhouse a few days ago, have announced their plans to move the court against what they claimed was an illegal act by the police.
Malik Imran, a Pakistani-Canadian television show host, told the media in a news conference on Monday that the police, which had raided the farmhouse near Bhara Kahu on the morning of April 28 and rounded up around 25 men and 22 women, had no right to do so since they did not possess a warrant to search the privately-owned premises.
‘Police raided birthday party on private property’
“When the police squad arrived at the farmhouse, the guards deputed there asked them to show warrants for searching the premises. Instead, the police officers circled to the other side of the farmhouse and scaled the walls to get in,” he said.
Flanked by a few youngsters who were rounded up on April 28, Imran clarified that he nothing to do with the party but was holding the news conference to highlight police excesses and to help the youngsters who had been charged with prostitution.
The show host claimed that there were over a hundred men and women at the farmhouse, but the police squad only comprised of male officers.
“There was no female police officer with them. Male cops then shifted all the girls to the police station,” he said, adding that the police had failed to recover any alcohol or other contraband from the farmhouse. Moreover, he said that there were at least four married couples at the party as well.
Court strikes down ‘prostitution’ charge
Imran said that a few girls were also injured when the policemen forced and pushed them.
He added that despite rounding up people from the farmhouse early in the morning, the police detained all 47 people at the police station for an entire day and only produced them before a magistrate just when their legal detention limit of 24 hours was about to expire.
Countering police allegations that those detained were intoxicated, Imran said that the police did not take anyone for medical tests, which should have been mandatory given the nature of charges the police slapped on the youngsters.
“Is a mixed gathering a crime in itself?” Imran asked, adding that the police also arrested a married couple, while three other married couples were allowed to leave.
‘Police raided birthday party on private property’
Imran reiterated earlier allegations by the youngsters that the police had demanded hefty sums to release the detained suspects and pointed how around a dozen people had come forward to submit complaints with the deputy commissioner and capital’s police chief.
At the news conference, Ali Raza, a youngster who claimed that he was at the party and was arrested by the police, said that he was only released after he bribed police officers.
“They [police officers] demanded Rs50,000 but I gave them Rs25,000,” Raza said, adding, “I paid it to ASI Ameen Gondal.”
The youngster added that he was a student at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and a fried had had invited him to the ‘birthday’ party.
To backup his statement, Raza said that at least eight to ten other detainees were also released after they bribed the cops.
While the youngsters insist that the party was a ‘social and family event’ to celebrate a friend’s birthday, they could not tell how a mix of people hailing from various localities and backgrounds came together.
They explained that the participants hailed from different universities and residential areas but were all somehow socially connected to one another.
Meanwhile, a police officer, who denied all the allegations, also raised the question about how people from various districts and provinces with little to nothing in common came together to celebrate a birthday.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2018.
Several youngsters, who had been arrested by the police during a raid on an overnight party at a farmhouse a few days ago, have announced their plans to move the court against what they claimed was an illegal act by the police.
Malik Imran, a Pakistani-Canadian television show host, told the media in a news conference on Monday that the police, which had raided the farmhouse near Bhara Kahu on the morning of April 28 and rounded up around 25 men and 22 women, had no right to do so since they did not possess a warrant to search the privately-owned premises.
‘Police raided birthday party on private property’
“When the police squad arrived at the farmhouse, the guards deputed there asked them to show warrants for searching the premises. Instead, the police officers circled to the other side of the farmhouse and scaled the walls to get in,” he said.
Flanked by a few youngsters who were rounded up on April 28, Imran clarified that he nothing to do with the party but was holding the news conference to highlight police excesses and to help the youngsters who had been charged with prostitution.
The show host claimed that there were over a hundred men and women at the farmhouse, but the police squad only comprised of male officers.
“There was no female police officer with them. Male cops then shifted all the girls to the police station,” he said, adding that the police had failed to recover any alcohol or other contraband from the farmhouse. Moreover, he said that there were at least four married couples at the party as well.
Court strikes down ‘prostitution’ charge
Imran said that a few girls were also injured when the policemen forced and pushed them.
He added that despite rounding up people from the farmhouse early in the morning, the police detained all 47 people at the police station for an entire day and only produced them before a magistrate just when their legal detention limit of 24 hours was about to expire.
Countering police allegations that those detained were intoxicated, Imran said that the police did not take anyone for medical tests, which should have been mandatory given the nature of charges the police slapped on the youngsters.
“Is a mixed gathering a crime in itself?” Imran asked, adding that the police also arrested a married couple, while three other married couples were allowed to leave.
‘Police raided birthday party on private property’
Imran reiterated earlier allegations by the youngsters that the police had demanded hefty sums to release the detained suspects and pointed how around a dozen people had come forward to submit complaints with the deputy commissioner and capital’s police chief.
At the news conference, Ali Raza, a youngster who claimed that he was at the party and was arrested by the police, said that he was only released after he bribed police officers.
“They [police officers] demanded Rs50,000 but I gave them Rs25,000,” Raza said, adding, “I paid it to ASI Ameen Gondal.”
The youngster added that he was a student at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and a fried had had invited him to the ‘birthday’ party.
To backup his statement, Raza said that at least eight to ten other detainees were also released after they bribed the cops.
While the youngsters insist that the party was a ‘social and family event’ to celebrate a friend’s birthday, they could not tell how a mix of people hailing from various localities and backgrounds came together.
They explained that the participants hailed from different universities and residential areas but were all somehow socially connected to one another.
Meanwhile, a police officer, who denied all the allegations, also raised the question about how people from various districts and provinces with little to nothing in common came together to celebrate a birthday.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2018.