Cops in civvies assault man resisting search

Victim intercepted after withdrawing money from bank

DIJKOT:

A police official has been arrested and he and another employee suspended over thrashing a citizens who had withdrawn money from a bank for not allowing them to search him.

The officials had snatched cash and two mobile phones from the victim who had to be hospitalised.

The video of the incident went viral on the social media, prompting the city police officer (CPO) to take action.

Consequently, a checkpoint in charge was arrested and two personnel suspended.

The Lyallpur Town SP was appointed as the inquiry officer to look into the incident and the Ghulam Muhammad bad police registered a case.

According to reports, a resident of Ghulam Muhammadabad Saddar Bazaar, Nafees, had withdrawn money from a bank when he was followed by two policemen in plainclothes, ASI Khawar Rafiq Butt and Constable Muhammad Usman, on a motorcycle.

Nafees mistook them for robbers and refused to stop, leading the officials to chase and apprehend him at an intersection.

The situation escalated as Nafees resisted their search, and the policemen allegedly subjected him to torture, confiscating two mobile phones and the withdrawn money.

The victim was shifted to the Allied Hospital after he fell unconscious, where his family protested and demanded action against those responsible.

The incident gained widespread attention after a video of the torture went viral on social media, prompting CPO Kamran Adil to take notice. Consequently, Sidhupura check post in-charge Khawar Rafiq Butt and Constable Usman were suspended and the former was arrested.

Lyallpur Town SP Rana Rehman Qadir was appointed as the inquiry officer and tasked with submitting an investigation report at the earliest. On the orders of the CPO, the in-charge of the checkpoint, is being interrogated.

The CPO emphasised that no individual is above the law and no one has the authority to take it into their own hands.

However, Ghulam Muhammadabad Police Station SHO Raye Arshad registered a case against the arrested official and the constable who had escaped under relatively weak legal provisions related to robbery.

A video statement from the victim also surfaced, detailing his ordeal.

He said two men in plain clothes had approached him on a motorcycle, demanding that he hand over his belongings. When he resisted, they identified themselves as police officials and attempted to assault him.

Ghulam Muhammadabad police officials said they were investigating the incident.