Police accused of stripping woman

Victim claims police detained her without charge

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Court bailiffs raided the Civil Lines Police Station and recovered a woman who had been in police custody for five days without any charges against her.

There was no record in the police station about the woman’s “arrest” when the bailiffs raided the police station. The woman accused police officers of having tortured her during her incarceration.

The DPO suspended the SHO and the Muharrar of the Civil Lines Police Station and appointed an investigation officer to inquire into the matter.

The court granted interim bail to the woman and ordered an investigation.

The woman worked as a maid in a house. The woman’s employer had filed a case of theft of 57 tolas of gold and hundreds of thousands of rupees in cash.

However, despite being detained for five days, no record of the woman’s arrest was available at the police station at the time of the raid by the bailiffs, nor was she presented before a magistrate’s court.

The woman alleged that male and female cops had stripped her and tortured her. According to the woman, she was being pressured not to undergo medical tests.

DPO Hasan Afzal, taking immediate action, suspended the SHO of Civil Lines Police Station, Imtiaz Alam, and the Muharar and appointed SP (Investigation) Bakhtiar Ahmed inquiry officer to investigate into the matter and submit a report.

The court had also summoned the SHO.

The court granted interim bail to the woman in case Number 374 and ordered the police to include her in the investigation.

A news report published on these pages in 2019 said that an 18-year-old youth had been killed due to alleged torture by a police team during a raid in Johar Town.

However, a police spokesperson had maintained that the victim had died after his feet slipped and his head hit a stone. The victim was identified as Muhammad Ashfaq.

The father of the victim, Ghulam Rasool, in an FIR had said that his son had returned from work and went to see his uncle Muhammad Hanif at Ayub Chowk. Suddenly, four policemen, including two unidentified persons, barged into the house and started torturing his son, his uncle and his brother with bricks and fists. They pledged mercy before the police team.

However, they did not stop despite the deteriorating condition of his son.

He lost his breath, fell on the ground and died. The father also alleged that police stole money and mobile phone of his son. The complainant had nominated ASI Muhammad Younis, Constable Yasir, Constable Ansar and driver Arshad.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2023.