SHO suspended for thrashing warden

Inspector Shah denies the allegations.

RAWALPINDI:

Rawalpindi’s top cop has suspended the New Town station house officer (SHO) and initiated a departmental inquiry against him on Monday for allegedly beating up a traffic warden.

SHO New Town Inspector Ijaz Shah was accused of having Traffic Warden Khurram Nazir thrashed by cops after the latter checked the inspector for using a cell phone while driving on November 21.

City Police Officer Azhar Hameed Khokhar directed the Headquarter Superintendent of Police (SP) to initiate a departmental inquiry against Inspector Shah for allegedly beating the warden with the help of police constables in the New Town Police Station.

In his written complaint to Chief Traffic Officer CTO Ishtiaq Shah, the warden had maintained that he was on Rawal Road when a car drove past with the driver seen using a cell phone.

He said he chased the car and after stopping him at Chandni Chowk, asked for driving documents to issue him a ticket. The driver did not cooperate and asked him to come to New Town Police Station.

The warden said he followed the car to the police station, and while he was parking his bike outside, three to four policemen beat him up and dragged him into the police station, where the driver identified himself as New Town SHO Inspector Ijaz Shah.

Inspector Shah denied the allegations and claimed that at the time of alleged incident, he was present on duty at Haidri Chowk on Saidpur Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2012.