The police on Sunday arrested four policemen out of the six who were booked on charges of parading a couple naked from Mirbahar Muhalla to Gambat police station on the night of July 28.
A case was registered against all six policemen on Saturday and ASI Raheem Bux Jamro and constables Ghulam Raza Sial and Abdul Latif Junejo were caught near midnight. However, SI Khair Mohammad Samejo was arrested later on Sunday night. Constables Ameer Ali Shar and Ghulam Mohammad Khaskheli are on the run.
The Gambat police had alleged that the couple were involved in an adulterous relationship which is why they had raided the house of the man, MM, with a team led by SHO Khair Mohammad Samejo, on the complaint of the area’s residents. Though the people tried to toss out some clothes to the couple, the police stopped them in their tracks. The couple appeared in court on July 30 but were released on bail and have returned home.
According to the residents MM, often used to invite women to his house and had been arrested twice earlier as well after his neighbours complained.
Though earlier, Khairpur SSP Irfan Baloch was not ready to take action against the responsible police officials, he had to do it after the media took up the case. Khairpur SI Mohammad Samejo was demoted and suspended, while other police officers were suspended. Inspector Haq Nawaz Lolai replaced SHO Samejo. The Express Tribune tried to get in touch with SSP Baloch but he was not available.
Sukkur DIG Dr Ameer Ahmed Shaikh expressed his anger over the incident and called it an ‘inhuman act’. He said though MM was not an angel, the way the couple was paraded around and disgraced was despicable. He said that SI Samejo should be awarded exemplary punishment. SI Samejo has been accused of using brutal and extrajudicial methods against suspects. During his posting as Lakhi Ghulam Shah SHO, he had passed a string through a man’s nose and later unleashed his pet monkey on him as “punishment” for an alleged robbery. He used the string again at another man in Salehpat and then he was transferred.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2012.
COMMENTS (4)
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This type of tragic and shameful incidents have happened in the past in Southern Punjab, Now it is spreading out to other areas. Morals and values have nose dived.
This is the prevailing
culture.If our laws so not have satisfactory punishments for such crimes, it seems right to enact a law that includes 'a string through the nose' and parading the policement naked through the streets as a part of the punishment.