Cop booked two years after letting murder accused escape

Court discovers suspect was never sent to jail despite remand orders

FAISALABAD:

A former police investigation officer has been booked for allegedly 'releasing' a suspect involved in murder and kidnapping instead of sending him to jail, with the incident coming to light nearly two years later, officials said.

According to police sources, the case was registered on the complaint of SHO City Jaranwala, Sub-Inspector Muzaffar Ali Khokhar.

The FIR states that the accused, Muhammad, son of Ahmed Ali, had been absconding for around 12 years in connection with serious charges of murder and kidnapping.

Police said the suspect was arrested by then Investigation Incharge of City Jaranwala police station, Sub-Inspector Junaid Afzal, and was subsequently presented before a court.

The court ordered his judicial remand and directed that he be sent to Central Jail.

However, the inquiry revealed that instead of complying with the court's orders, the investigation officer allegedly kept the suspect in police custody for a day and later released him on the way to jail.

Police officials believe the release may have been made in exchange for a heavy bribe, though further investigation is underway to establish the exact circumstances.

The matter surfaced when the accused failed to appear before the court on a scheduled hearing two years later.

Upon his absence, the court sought a report from the superintendent of Central Jail, who confirmed that the suspect had never been lodged there.

Following the court's directives, police authorities conducted an internal review of the record.

It was found that on February 27, 2025, the suspect had been formally shown as arrested and placed in lockup.

A subsequent entry dated February 28 indicated that he had been taken out for transfer to jail, but no record existed of his actual admission to prison.

Authorities further noted that the investigation officer had allegedly failed to submit supplementary challans in both cases and left related documentation incomplete, raising serious questions about procedural lapses.

Based on these findings, a case was registered against the former investigation officer under relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, and efforts are underway to arrest him.

City Police Officer (CPO) Faisalabad, Sahibzada Bilal Umar, has suspended the accused officer and ordered a regular departmental inquiry, assigning the Senior Superintendent of Police (Investigation) to probe the matter.

Meanwhile, the accused officer has obtained interim bail from a court and denied all allegations, claiming that he was not posted at the concerned police station at the time and terming the case a conspiracy.

He also questioned discrepancies in official records, asserting that the entries had been tampered with.

Police officials said further investigation was in progress to determine responsibility and ensure accountability.