SHC tells police to maintain records of shelter homes

Police say they are getting data from social welfare department.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed that police high-ups ensure each police station keeps the data of shelter homes where destitute persons, including children, are kept.

“It is surprising to note that none of the police stations maintains any record of NGOs operating within their jurisdiction,” the bench noted during a petition on the alleged detention of a 13-year-old boy. Rahima Khatoon had taken the police to court for failing to recover her son, Muhammad Ali, who had disappeared on March 5, 2010. A missing person’s case was registered at the Korangi Industrial Area police station but the boy was not traced.

On December 13, 2012, the judges had directed additional IG (legal) to inform the court about the number of shelter homes being run in the city for run-away children but the officials were unable to produce the data. SSP Naveed, who is investigating the case, told the judges that the social welfare department was compiling the information to be shared with the police.

Headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam, the bench directed the additional IG to notify to all the relevant police stations about NGOs and centres operating in their jurisdictions. The bench also instructed the police officials to keep close connections with such centres.

The police insisted, however, that the complainant had hidden her son to frame a man the family has disputes with. The judges adjourned the hearing till February 21 and directed police officials to improve their spies’ network to keep an eye out for such crimes.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2013.