Criminal charges: Two days after suspension, cops approach court

SC’s larger bench throws out applications for want of merit.

KARACHI: Two days after losing lucrative field postings for facing criminal trials, two influential senior police superintendents took their chief to the Supreme Court accusing him of ordering their ‘transfer’ under the garb of the court’s order.

On February 26, Sindh IGP Fayyaz Leghari issued transfer orders for Hyderabad district police officer SSP Pir Farid Jan Sarhandi and SSP Jamshoro Farrukh Bashir. Leghari was given a show-cause notice by the apex court to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him for ‘concealing facts’ on policemen who enjoy field postings despite facing criminal trials.

In his report, the police chief disclosed that Thatta DPO Sarhandi was facing trial in an illegal detention case while charges had also been framed against SSP Jamshoro in a case pertaining to the alleged murder of a Sindh United Party’s activist in 2009.

SSP Sarhandi, who reportedly has strong connections in Islamabad, was removed from the post of district police officer and ordered to report to the Central Police Office Karachi. SSP Bashir was also transferred.



On Friday, both the officers filed a criminal review application before the larger bench - comprising justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Khilji Arif Hussain, Gulzar Ahmed and Muhammad Athar Saeed.

Their lawyers, Yousuf Leghari and Ashraf Kazi, argued that the IGP had ordered immediate transfer of the two officers without providing them an opportunity of a hearing, which was against the settled principles of justice.

SSP Sarhandi informed that he was nominated with bad intentions in the illegal detention case with FIR No. 78/2010 registered under sections 334 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code by Malik Changez Khan at the Thatta police station. The complainant himself is involved in criminal cases and trial of this case is pending for the last two years due to his absence.

SSP Bashir also claimed that the case against him was lodged by Malik Changez Khan and his relatives, who are all involved in various criminal cases. They pleaded the court provide them justice by declaring the IG’s action unlawful.

The judges observed that they had passed no order for the applicants’ suspension, but directed the IGP to act according to the provisions of the Police Rules, 1934. “If the applicants have any grievance, they must approach the appropriate authority or forum,” observed the judges, while dismissing both the applications for lacking merits.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2013.