Rawalpindi police short of handcuffs, ties prisoners with ropes

Officers have to pay from own pockets to get supply

RAWALPINDI: Due to a severe financial crisis, 30 Rawalpindi district police stations are no longer able to afford new handcuffs despite running short of the previous supply, and now instead of handcuffs have resorted to using ropes to tie suspects’ hands upon arrest.

The suspects are now being presented before the court with their hands tied up with ropes, which is extremely dangerous and has become a security risk.

Rawalpindi district has 30 stations in total, only three to five sets of handcuffs are left in all stations. Instead of giving handcuffs to police, through government directives, investigation officers have been instructed to arrange the handcuffs on their own.

Furthermore, many investigation officers have the latest handcuffs which they have bought with their own money or taken from the family of the suspect as a penalty.

If more than five suspects are arrested in a station, investigation officers face a great deal of difficulty presenting them before the court. On Saturday, 14 people arrested in the rent act were brought to courts by the Pirwadhai Police Station staff tied in ropes.

Moreover, Civil Judge Hafiz Imran sent all these suspects on judicial remand to Adiyala jail. Tied in ropes, police took them to Adiyala jail from court. Police Sub-Inspector Iqbal told the Daily Express that handcuffs for police are prepared in Gujranwala.

The sole manufacturer in Gujranwala sends the supply of handcuffs after he receives a letter written and signed by the police station SHO, with a proper letterhead, ordering to prepare the handcuffs.

Apart from Gujranwala dealer, police has no other dealer in any district or city. The investigation officer who wants handcuffs has to have them made and pay the dealer through his own personal expenses.

New handcuffs have not been provided in police stations since the past 15 years. Moreover, officers in concerned stations have also confessed to scarcity of handcuffs.

Two suspects Noor Zaman and Ajmal Khan Brought to court on Saturday told Express that apart from them 12 others arrested were tied in ropes and brought to the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2019.