Facts forged in FIR against ASI

Elderly victim has been wrongly named as Kundan Mai and registered as a local from Muzaffargarh

LAHORE: The Old Anarkali police have allegedly forged facts in an FIR registered against Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Muhammad Asif for misbehaving with an old woman to escape further scrutiny from their higher ups.

The elderly victim has been wrongly named as Kundan Mai in the FIR, whereas her real name is Bashiran Bibi, The Express Tribune has learnt. The victim has also been wrongly registered as a local from Muzaffargarh, even though she belongs to a village near Raiwind.

A video of the incident showed the ASI misbehaved with an elderly woman (about 80-90 years old) outside the IGP office. Reportedly, the officer not only abused the woman, but also snatched her stick and threw it on the ground. He also hurled threats at the victim.

After the video went viral, he was promptly suspended and arrested, but the police failed to take down Bibi’s details and still lodged an FIR.

When The Express Tribune reached out to the police station to inquire about the details of the FIR, it was confirmed that Bibi had left by the time it was registered and some of the details were put down based on hearsay.

“Police officials are aiming to protect the skin of one of their own by hiding the woman’s name and address. They did not bother to take her CNIC for the FIR and then proceeded to forge the details,” said her advocate Syed Farhad Ali Shah.

Shah said that he is representing the elderly victim in the sessions court as land grabbers have taken over her property.

The lawyer said Bibi went to confront the concerned official about arrests in her case, the ASI misbehaved with her and threw away her walking stick. Shah said he will challenge the FIR in court. Shah is the same lawyer representing PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah in the heroin smuggling case.

SP Dost Muhammad denied Shah’s allegations and said that it is impossible that the FIR was registered under a false name. He added that a thorough investigation will bring the truth to light.

The FIR stated that an old woman, called Kundan Mai, came to the Khulli Kachari at the CPO complex where accused ASI Asif behaved poorly with her and threw away her walking cane. A case was registered under section 155-C of the Police Order 2002. Inspector Khalid Hameed registered the FIR against his colleague. The advocate vowed that all matters will be cleared during the course of the investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2019.