Long arm of the law: SHO flees court as judge sentences him to jail

Police official had failed to produce evidence and witnesses in court.

LAHORE:

A station house officer (SHO) fled from a court room on Tuesday after an additional district and sessions judge sentenced him to six months in prison for not complying with orders.

Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar had issued several notices to South Cantt SHO Zafar Iqbal to produce witnesses and evidence in a dacoity and murder case near Bhatta Chowk, but the SHO had not been turning up for hearings.

Appearing in court on Tuesday, the SHO was questioned angrily by the judge about why he had not been answering notices or showing up for hearings. He responded meekly, saying he had been trying to locate the case witnesses. Asked if he had brought the witnesses and evidence to court on Tuesday, the SHO stayed silent for a while and then asked for more time.

The judge told the SHO that he had already been given enough time and notice. “Enough is enough. If you don’t respect me and the court’s orders, why should I respect you?” he said, and directed police officials standing in the courtroom to arrest him. The police officials took the SHO to a small staff room within the courtroom.

A police official then approached Iqbal and informed him that he had overheard the judge dictating orders to his reader to imprison the SHO for six months. The SHO then started talking to some lawyers and edging towards the courtroom’s main door. Once he was at the exit, he began running.

A constable lunged at Iqbal to stop him getting away, but the SHO struck him. He then pulled out his gun, and holding it in his hand pointed skywards, ran away on foot, said witnesses.

“I was summoned from the bakhshi khana with handcuffs to arrest the SHO,” said Constable Rehmat Ali, who had tried to stop the SHO. “He slapped me in the face and then saw other policemen approaching, so he pulled out his gun.”

Ali alleged that some lawyers had helped the SHO escape by helping him from the small room inside the court to the exit.

The judge sentenced the SHO to three months in prison under Section 188 and three months under Section 176 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the case details of the murder and dacoity in which the SHO was required to produce evidence, a man named Muhammad Ramazan was gunned down for resisting a dacoity attempt near Bhatta Chowk on June 10, 2006. The police arrested six accused  Faisal Latif, Ijaz Ali Raza, Usman Butt, Shahbaz and Fiaz after registering an FIR under Section 302 of the PPC.

Faisal Latif was later released while Ijaz was sent to jail. The police claimed to have recovered a mobile phone, a gold wrist chain and Rs13,000 from the accused. However, the SHO was unable to produce goods allegedly stolen in court, nor other evidence.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2011.