SHO suspended for ‘torturing’ shopkeepers

The Saudabad police on Monday took shopkeepers into custody and inflicted brutal torture on them for flouting COVID-19 SOPs. The shopkeepers were released after 19 hours.

Landhi zone SP Shah Nawaz Chachar has suspended Saudabad police station SHO Zubair Islam for allegedly torturing shopkeepers over Covid SOPs violations.

"Police are not permitted to inflict torture. The incident of inflicting torture on the restaurant owner is being probed further," SP Chahchar told the Express Tribune adding that Sadaat Butt is the acting SHO of the precinct for now.

A video statement of an affected restaurant, Azhar, was posted on social media, in which he showed bruises allegedly inflicted by the police.

Azhar said he owns a restaurant on Saudabad Chowrangi. He got late in closing the shop due to a few orders, meanwhile Saudabad SHO along with the police party came and took away him and other shopkeepers to police station.

Their mobile phones were switched off and they were beaten with sticks in a queue. They were released the next day at 9pm. "Who gave police the authority to treat SOPs violators with such inhumane behavior?" the affected shopkeeper questioned.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2021.