Cop arrested for torturing man to death in illegal confinement

Policemen demanding money kept victim in private cell for 16 days then dumped his body in a nullah

RAWALPINDI: An absconding police officer has been arrested on charges of torturing to death a man in illegal confinement.

Trainee Sub Inspector Hasnain Shah and 11 other cops had picked up Ilyas Butt, a tractor-trolley driver, kept him in private torture cell forcing him to pay money for his release.

The brute cops tortured the labourer for 16 days and finally, he died on Eidul Azha. They dumped his body in a nullah and later recovered it as an ‘unidentified’ man killed by ‘unidentified’ people.

The case came to fore on the complaint of the victim’s brother Ghulam Abbas. Gujjar Khan police registered an FIR against its own personnel only on the orders of CPO Faisal Rana. None of the killer cops were arrested though.

The main suspect, SI Hasnain Shah, was arrested in front of Gujjar Khan police station, the precinct where he was booked for the custodial death of a citizen.

Police seized his car along with the pistol he was carrying.

SSP Investigation Muhammad Faisal told The Express Triune that arrest of the suspect was a big success in the case. He added that SHO and Mohrar nominated in the case had acquired bail before arrest.

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SSP Faisal said the rest of the suspects would be arrested soon. He said police will give no advantage to suspects for being part of the force.

The victim’s brother, Ghulam Abbas lodged a case against Hasnain and eleven other abetting policemen including Station House Officer Gujjar Khan.

Woman found dead

Pirwadhai police registered case of a woman found mysteriously dead on the roof of her house.

According to police, Khalid Mehmood, a taxi driver, said he came back from the market one day and found his wife Bakht lying dead in front of their room on the roof of the house where they lived.

He alleged that his neighbors Irfan and Sheru who had accused Bakht of stealing money and a gold ring three days ago had killed her.

The police have registered a case and started an investigation.

Case against abusers

Murree police registered a case against suspects who forcibly made obscene videos of a youngster.

Amjad told the police that Abdullah and his accomplices Rasheed, Shabbir Mughal, Shabaz and others forced him into their car and took him to the Improvement Trust area where the suspects forced them upon the victim and recorded his obscene video.

Women abducted

Three women were reportedly kidnapped from remits of different police stations.

Kamran Ahmed told Ratta Amral police that he woke up in the morning to find his wife and two children missing with Rs300,000 and with five-tola jewelry. He alleged that Kamran and his accomplices had kidnapped his family.

Similarly, Hafiz Kiyani informed Airport police that his 20-year-old daughter went outside but did not return. He accused Atif of abducting the young woman.

Further, Saddar police were informed by Atif that his sister was kidnapped by Shani and abettors.

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A 12 gauge shotgun, a 32 bore pistol and a pair of knuckle dusters are all Islamabad police recovered in the door to door search in Nurpur Shahain locality in the remits of Secretariat police station. Police searched 35 houses, interviewed 110 people and detained seven for recovery of weapons.

For recovering a shotgun a small pistol and two iron-punches, Islamabad police came with the backing of contingents of Rangers, Counter Terrorism Force, police commandos, police women commandos, and Bomb Disposal Squad and personnel of other law-enforcement agencies under supervision of City SP Aamir Niazi.

City Police Officer (CPO) Faisal Rana has ordered police to search sensitive points on routes of mourning processions on foot.

Moreover, plainclothesmen and officers in civvies will be marching with the processions keeping their eyes peeled for any troublemaker, he said chairing a meeting of high police officials regarding security measures during Muharram in which SSP Operations Syed Ali Akbar, SSP Investigation Mohammad Faisal, SP Potohar Syed Ali, SP Saddar Rai Mazhar Iqbal, SP Rawal Asif Masood and other related officers participated.

DIG Rana sensitive points on routes had been identified and processions should be punctual while they would not be allowed to stay at sensitive points for a second. He said the participants must ensure time constraints.

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He thanked the organisers of processions for cooperating with the police for supremacy of law and expressed that there would be no compromise on security, particularly during procession timings.

He clarified that nobody would be allowed to organise an unlicenced procession, be it of any size, while the violators would face an inquiry under Anti-Terrorism Act.

He said that contingents of Army and Rangers would also perform duties for maintaining security.

He instructed all SPs to organise meetings with respective peace committees regarding mourning processions of Muharram 7 and 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2019.