Torture allegations: Police have ‘yet to receive orders’

Sessions court had directed the police two days ago to prosecute an ASI, four others for torturing a man.

GUJRANWALA:

Aimanabad police have yet to receive orders for prosecution of an assistant sub inspector and four constables for torturing a youngster, Clerk Muhammad Shafiq told The Express Tribune.

He said action would be taken against ASI Shafiq Gujjar and Constables Zulfiqar, Muhammad Zaman and Akram Bhatti and Munshis Shakir and Arshad.

The station house officer was not available for comment.

Personal staff officer to City Police Officer Abdul Razzaq Cheema had earlier told The Tribune that action would be taken in the matter in accordance with court orders.

Additional Sessions Judge Rai Nawaz had on Wednesday (July 18) directed the city police to prosecute the five policemen.

The directions were issued after a medical examination of Muhammad Yameen, a resident of Khan Pyara area, at Civil Hospital confirmed that he was tortured.

In the report submitted to the court, Dr Capt (retd) Nisar Ahmed had stated that Yameen had injuries on his back, chest, legs and arms. He said his legs were swollen when he was brought to the hospital on July 12. But, he said, torture on Yameen could not be categorised as three-degree.

Petitioner Hayat Muhammad Khan, father of the torture victim, had submitted that the medical examination was carried out after a delay of five days.

He said he had taken his son to the hospital on his own on July 12 after Aimanabad police refused to act on the court’s order for a medical examination on July 7.

The petitioner said the police had picked his son from his home on July 4 without producing any court orders warranting his arrest.

“They said he (Yameen) was wanted in several robberies but refused to specify any of the cases against him,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2012.