A man has accused the Haripur police of torturing him in illegal detention and implicating him in theft case. He claims that the police forced him to confess to stealing buffaloes worth Rs5 million from a neighbouring village - a crime he did not commit.
The police, however, have denied the charges and dubbed the victim’s claims “a made-up story”.
Abdul Waheed, 30, a rickshaw driver from Khalabat Township told media persons that on Sunday afternoon three plain-clothed police personnel intercepted him in Panian village, about 3kilometres from the Grand Trunk Road, and took him into custody on charges of stealing some buffaloes. He said that they verbally abused him and took him to the Panian Police Post, where they stripped him and subjected him to physical torture. He said the policemen kept beating him for several hours after which he fell unconscious.
Waheed said he was detained till 11pm and freed only after his elderly mother reached the police post and implored for his release.
Waheed claims that the torture has rendered him “almost disabled” as he is undergoing body aches, insomnia, infection in his kidneys and is unable to walk. He said that the next day, he went to Women and Children Hospital and tried to register complaint, but the police officials refused to register an FIR.
Determined to bring his perpetrators to justice, he said that he would sue the police personnel who subjected him to custodial abuse and called upon Inspector General Police and Chief Justice Peshawar High Court for action against his tormentors.
When contacted, Deputy Superintendant of Police (DSP) Asif Goher rejected Waheed’s statement, saying that the detainee’s brother, Javed, was allegedly involved in stealing buffaloes. He said the police took Waheed to the police station asking him to produce his brother, which he promised to do on Tuesday. The DSP accused Waheed of “pressurising the police using negative tactics”.
Meanwhile, the Human Development Organisation (HDO) has condemned the police torture on Waheed, terming it a violation of Article 14 (2) of the Constitution. The organisation has assured medical, psychological and legal assistance to Waheed.
HDO, which has been working for prevention of torture and rehabilitation of survivors of torture in Hazara, said that the government ratified the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) two years back, but the delay in criminalising custodial abuses in line with the provisions of UNCAT has encouraged law-enforcement agencies to work in an atmosphere of complete impunity.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2012.
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