Torture cells: Court orders registration of case against SHO

Four men were detained in a private torture cell.

FAISALABAD:

Additional Session Judge Qaisar Nadeem But on Tuesday ordered the police to register a case against Samanabad Station House Officer (SHO) Rana Maghfoor Ahmad for abuse of powers and confining citizens in a private torture cell at a house.  

The court also ordered for the medical examination of four detainees who were recovered by a court bailiff from the private torture cell on Monday.

The court was told that Samanabad police had established a torture cell in a house situated in Gulshan-i-Rafique where four men Waseem, Ali Raza, Shahid and Shafiq had been detained by the police for the last 15 days. The police had also chained their feet and hand-cuffed them, the bailiff  informed the court.

The decision was taken on a habeas corpus petition filed by Muhammad Yaqoob, father of one of the detainees, Raza.

The court had directed a bailiff to raid the house, where they recovered the four men.

On Tuesday, the bailiff produced the detainees in court. The court had summoned the Iqbal Town superintendent of police, Shakirullah, who claimed that the detainees were involved in a number of crimes.

“The men had been kept at the police station for investigation,” he said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (operation) Sadiq Dogar, who was also present, said that the matter was sub judice and it was for the court to decide what action should be taken against the police officials involved in the establishment of a torture cell.

“We have not officially set up such torture cells. We will not hesitate to take action against the police officers involved,” the senior superintendent added.

The court after hearing arguments from both sides ordered the police to register a case against SHO Rana Maghfoor Ahmad and three other policemen. The judge released the men on personal surety bonds.

The court directed the Iqbal Town SP to hold an inquiry of illegal confinements and private torture cell. The judge also ordered for the detainees to be examined by the medical board of the district headquarters hospital.

At a previous hearing, the petitioner had alleged that police arrested people in fake cases and took them to the torture cell after midnight.

He said he had many times heard men shouting in pain inside the house.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2012.