Police fail to submit charge sheet in over 12,000 cases

Delays in investigations help accused get bail

RAWALPINDI:

The performance of Rawalpindi district’s 30 police stations in presenting charge sheet of cases in the courts has turned out to be very disappointing according to the data released by the police department.

As per figures made public by the department, Rawalpindi police registered a total of 18,569 cases from January 1 to July 31. Out of these, complete challans or charge sheets of only 5,681 cases could be presented in the courts.

Police failed to produce final challans in 12,888 cases of theft, robbery, murder, kidnapping, abduction and rape, and major fraud.

In contrast, most of the charge sheets submitted by the police include cases of selling kites and strings, vagrancy, alcohol consumption and gambling.

According to the law, the police are required to submit a challan at the relevant court within 14 days of arresting the suspects, law practitioners said adding that delay in presenting the charge sheet or incomplete paperwork helps accused get bail from the court. Once on bail, the suspects abscond and go about harassing the victims to withdraw charges, they said.

According to the documents seen by The Express Tribune, Women Police Station registered only three cases from January 1 to July 31 and submitted complete challan of only one case in the court.

During this period, the highest numbers of cases 1,575 were registered with New Town Police Station and charge sheets of only 474 cases were submitted in the courts.

Out of the total 18,569 cases, 578 were dismissed and 425 cases were put on hold as no accused were arrested.

During the same period last year in 2019, a total of 25,214 cases were registered in the police stations across the district. Of these, only 10,865 complete challans could be submitted.

Senior members of the High Court Bar Masood Shah, Najaf Al Hasnain and Abid Chauhan advocates said that the police are required to submit challans within 14 days of arrest of the suspects, but challans are not presented in connivance with the accused or the case is suspended due to submission of incomplete investigations.

This allows the accused in serious cases to escape on bail and the cases get delayed in the courts, they said.

Meanwhile, police investigation officers, requesting anonymity, said delays in presenting challans will continue until the investigation department is completely separated from other duties.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2020.