Contempt of court: ‘The police think they are above the law’

LAHORE:

Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi reprimanded a DSP on Friday, taking strict notice of his late appearance before the court in contempt of court proceedings against him and other police officers for tampering with supplementary statements of parties in a triple murder case.

When DSP Raza Safdar Kazmi appeared before the court, Judge Naqvi said police officials pretended to be dumb in front of courts while playing smart in their offices.

DSP Kazmi claimed that he had had to rush to a crime scene which was why he had been delayed. However, he had no answer when judge asked him as to why he did not inform his seniors who were already present in the court about the development.

The judge said the behaviour of police officers showed that they did not care about court proceedings and thought that they were above the law.

Justice Naqvi directed the CIA SP to hold an investigation strictly on merit and determine who had tampered with the supplementary statements in the case and why the statement of the accused was not recorded by the investigating officer.

The judge directed DSP Kazmi, Inspector Ijaz and SI Rizwan to file their explanation by the next hearing on April 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2012.