Probe ordered into siblings' 'illegal detention'

A civil court on Thursday took serious notice of the alleged unlawful detention of a sister and her brother and the registration of what has been described as fabricated cases involving grave offences, directing the Superintendent of Police (SP) to conduct an inquiry and submit a report to the court within 15 days.

In a petition filed before Judicial Magistrate Shuneera Zafar, it was disclosed that Ansa Bibi and her brother were allegedly taken into custody at night from the Misrial Road area of Rawalpindi and detained unlawfully for three days. During this period, they were reportedly implicated in several serious criminal cases.

The court was informed that, in an apparent attempt to conceal the illegal detention, police registered two separate First Information Reports (FIRs). In one case, the brother, Abdul Wahid, was nominated in a robbery case at Barakahu Police Station, while the sister was shown as accused in a narcotics case.

Notably, the same police officer acted as complainant in both cases - a circumstance the petitioner described as clear evidence of mala fide intent.

It was further submitted that the two were taken from their home without warrants, and that their mobile phones, ATM cards and identification documents were confiscated. They were allegedly subjected to both physical and psychological abuse.

According to court records, Abdul Wahid has already been discharged in one of the cases, which defence counsel argued demonstrates that the charges were fabricated.

During the hearing, counsel contended that portraying individuals as newly arrested when they were already in custody constitutes not only an abuse of authority but also an attempt to mislead the judicial system.

After examining the preliminary record, the court observed that the allegations prima facie disclosed cognisable offences and that a transparent investigation was essential.

The court accordingly directed the Rural SP, Islamabad Police, to complete a detailed inquiry and submit a report within 15 days.

Allowing the petitioner's request, the court further ordered that Safe City camera footage, mobile phone data, call detail records, and a complete inventory of seized items be made part of the investigation.