Police under fire over women’s humiliation

Video recorded in Kasur prompts dismissal of SI, case registration

LAHORE:

An incident of torture and humiliation of two women by beating them with shoes in Kasur Sadar Police Station has sparked indignation against the police.

A number of people took to the social media to criticise the police for using primitive means of investigation, leading to inhumane treatment of suspects in custody, excesses, custodial deaths and ultimately hatred against the department.

A video clip filmed secretly by an eye-witness showed a woman clad in burqa beating two women lying on the floor with a shoe. It was a shared on social media reportedly by a social activist and lawyer.

The video went viral on social media within a few hours, stirring uproar against the police and the ruling party’s failure to fulfil its promise of changing the ‘thana culture’.

In the video, the woman was also seen kicking and throttling the victims with her foot when they cried for mercy.

The video was over a minute long, showing the two women plead for mercy but in vain. In the background, a child can also be heard crying and appealing to spare them.

During initial investigations, it turned out that the whole inhumane episode was going on in the presence of a Sub-Inspector, Haider Ali. He reportedly was investigating a murder and robbery case and had taken some suspects into custody.

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The suspects included two women, and instead of working diligently to collect evidence though modern methods, the SI adopted the archaic course and involved a woman who was not a police employee to torture them. According to initial reports, lady constable was also present at the time of the incident along with the SI.

The people expressed abhorrence over the video exposing the vulnerability of women in police stations.

A citizen, Zameer Afaqi, commented, “The police torture in Kasur has once again established that our police has not come out of the period of savagery where modern education and investigation technique has no say. I do not have the courage to share the video, highly shameful incident depicting humiliation of humanity.”

He stressed that a reformed society could not be created out of violence, adding that the sooner the rulers understand this, the better.

Another social media user, Sher Ali, commented, “This is our Naya Pakistan. A formal announcement of legal action against culprits by Punjab Police has been made. However, the question remains if women are treated so in police stations in the province, what about the men.”

Senior police officers took notice of the incident after the video went viral and ordered registration of a case against the woman seen involved in torture, identified as Sajida, along with the SI.

Both of them were detained for investigation along with a woman constable found present on the occasion.

Based on the preliminary report, IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan issued orders of dismissal from service of the police official. He also ordered action against the DSP and SHO concerned.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2021.