Countless accusations: Father, son recovered from alleged illegal custody

Detainees claim the police acted at the behest of their opponent.

HARIPUR:

Court bailiffs on Friday recovered a man and his son allegedly detained by the local police without any charges or record for three days.

Family sources said Muhammad Jan and his son Muhammad Khan, both fruit vendors in Moonan village, were picked up from their house by the city police on May 14. The family alleged the police violated the sanctity of the ‘purdah’ by barging in and then standing like spectators while another villager and their rival, Mushtaq, beat them up.

The father and son were then taken to city police station where they were detained for three days without an FIR being registered against them. Their family, which was also not allowed to visit them, filed an application in the court of a district judge in Haripur under Section 491 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Acting on the court’s direction, bailiff Munsif raided the city police station and recovered the detainees from the constable barracks. Not allowing Munsif to take custody of Jan and Muhammad, the police decided to produce them in court where the detainees recorded their statements.

They accused city police sub inspector Mir Afzal of illegally detaining them at the behest of their opponents, who they claim thrashed them while they were in custody.



They also alleged the police subjected them to physical and mental torture for three days. Upon this, the court ordered a medical examination which was conducted on Friday. The report, however, has not yet been produced in court.

Sub inspector Afzal denied the allegations and said Jan and Muhammad had been arrested on kidnapping charges. He also claimed their detention was recorded.

Mushtaq supported the sub inspector’s claim, accusing Muhammad and his two sons Sarfraz and Sikander along with four others of kidnapping him for ransom. Mushtaq said he had a disagreement with Jan on May 5 and alleged he was kidnapped two days later from Mera Ali Khan and taken to Sangjani where he was detained with his hands and legs cuffed.

Mushtaq claimed his captors tortured him and released him the next day by leaving him in an isolated area in Attock. He also accused them of stealing his CNIC and Rs8,000 in cash, saying he got a ride back to his village where he lodged an FIR against his alleged captors.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2013.