SHO suspended for torturing Hindu shopkeepers

Action taken against officer for using excessive force against minority community's Ramazan Ordinance violation

KARACHI:

The SHO of Khanpur police station of Ghotki district was suspended on Friday following a report that he tortured, harassed, manhandled and arrested Hindu shopkeers for violating Ramazan Ordinance.

In a video that went viral on social media, the SHO Kabil Bhayo is seen roaming in the area with a stick in his hand torturing a few shoppers including Hindu men who were selling Biryani in the local market.

SHO publicly forced the Hindu restaurant owner to take oath under his (Hindus) sacred book. The Hindu man had no other option, but he went inside the restaurant and took an oath.

The SHO arrested more than one dozen people beating them in the market.
Soon after the video went viral, the Sindh Human Rights Commission took notice of it and wrote DIG Sukkur and SSP Ghotki to take action against the police officer. “The act is a violation of fundamental rights of citizens regardless of their religion and beliefs and goes against Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which guarantees the freedom to profess and manage religious institutions.

It also runs counter to a landmark judgment by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani on Minority Rights, issued on June 19th, 2014,” the letter issued by Sindh Human Rights Commission Chairman Iqbal Detho said asking DIG Sukkur and SSP Ghotki to probe into the matter with action against the SHO.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2023.