Bailed accused rearrested: Police chief apologises over arrest at High Court

Committee formed to investigate the matter.

LAHORE:

The inspector general of police (IGP) on Wednesday rendered an unconditional apology to the court when Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhary expressed displeasure over him for re-arresting an accused from within the court premises after he was granted bail by the LHC.

The IGP appeared on a court call made on a petition filed by Raheela contending that her spouse, Javed Sadiq, was taken into police custody by the Sattukatla Police from the court minutes after he was given bail by the court.

Expressing great displeasure over the police conduct towards court orders, the chief justice observed, “In the past, police could not dare re-arrest an accused after grant of bail by a magistrate. Now the police have become bold enough to ignore High Court’s order. How did this arrogance come?”

The IGP informed the court that a committee, headed by DIG Ali Amir Malik, has been constituted to look into the matter. The court then adjourned further proceedings till August 5 and directed the IGP to inform the court about the inquiry report by then.

Court orders petitioner to approach trail court

The Lahore High Court chief justice on Wednesday dismissed the application seeking a declaration that the DIG (investigation) and the Lahore CCPO were responsible for a fake encounter in Nishtar Colony. He ordered the petitioner to approach the trial court.

On Wednesday, the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Aftab Ahmad Bajwa, submitted that the subordinate police officials were not responsible for the fake encounter. He said they had complied with the instructions of their superiors including the CCPO and the DIG.

He requested the court to direct the officers concerned to initiate fresh investigation in the case by an officer of DIG’s rank. Bajwa argued that Shahbaz Butt was killed by Nishtar Colony Station House Officer (SHO) Naveed Akmal and Zulfiqar Warya, the investigation in charge, however, they were not implicated in the case. He said that constables Asif and Qadir had shot in the air after directions from the SHO.

The counsel produced mobile phones record of the police officers present on the encounter scene and alleged that the CCPO and other senior police officers were in contact with their subordinates when Butt was killed. Advocate Bajwa said that the SHO was not interrogated because he was related to an additional inspector general police.

After listening to the arguments, the CJ ordered the petitioner to approach the trial court and dismissed the petition.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2011.