Prisoners’ complaints: Court orders arrest of Adiala Jail’s top officials
Prison admin found guilty of torturing inmates, perjury.
The complainants produced a medical report which confirmed they had been subjected to severe torture. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
A district court on Monday ordered the police to arrest the senior most officials at Adiala Jail for torturing prisoners and fabricating statements.
Three prisoners, Misal Khan, Arshad Mehmood and Saeed had complained to District and Session Judge Kaleem Khan that they had been severely tortured by the jail superintendent for refusing to give extortion to the jail administration. Khan and Mehmood are on the death row, while Saeed is serving a life sentence. The complainants had stated that there were high-profile criminals who were involved in extortion and supply of drugs and other prohibited items to inmates.
The judge said he was aware that prisoners were subjected to severe torture if they lodged a complaint. “If anything happens to these three prisoners, you will be sent behind bars,” the court warned the jail officials and ordered the Saddar Beruni police to arrest Superintendent Malik Mushtaq, Deputy Superintendent Arshad Warraich and the assistant superintendent, head warden and warden for producing false statements in court.
During the course of hearing, the complainants produced a medical report which confirmed that they had been subjected to severe torture.
At an earlier hearing, the prison officials had denied the allegations and produced a medical report prepared by the medical staff of Adiala Jail stating that there were no signs of torture on the prisoners’ bodies.
The court pointed out to the superintendent that the date of the examination was not mentioned on the medical report.
The jail superintendent had maintained that he had not tortured the prisoners and that they were beaten by fellow inmates after a scuffle broke out among them. He had also produced the accused prisoners’ statements as proof.
The court had rejected the medical report and ordered an independent medical examination. Jail officials were asked to produce the prisoners they had accused of beating up the complainants.
When the accused prisoners appeared before the court on Monday, they said that they were not involved in any fight. The jail officials asked us to sign the statements and we did, they said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2013.
A district court on Monday ordered the police to arrest the senior most officials at Adiala Jail for torturing prisoners and fabricating statements.
Three prisoners, Misal Khan, Arshad Mehmood and Saeed had complained to District and Session Judge Kaleem Khan that they had been severely tortured by the jail superintendent for refusing to give extortion to the jail administration. Khan and Mehmood are on the death row, while Saeed is serving a life sentence. The complainants had stated that there were high-profile criminals who were involved in extortion and supply of drugs and other prohibited items to inmates.
The judge said he was aware that prisoners were subjected to severe torture if they lodged a complaint. “If anything happens to these three prisoners, you will be sent behind bars,” the court warned the jail officials and ordered the Saddar Beruni police to arrest Superintendent Malik Mushtaq, Deputy Superintendent Arshad Warraich and the assistant superintendent, head warden and warden for producing false statements in court.
During the course of hearing, the complainants produced a medical report which confirmed that they had been subjected to severe torture.
At an earlier hearing, the prison officials had denied the allegations and produced a medical report prepared by the medical staff of Adiala Jail stating that there were no signs of torture on the prisoners’ bodies.
The court pointed out to the superintendent that the date of the examination was not mentioned on the medical report.
The jail superintendent had maintained that he had not tortured the prisoners and that they were beaten by fellow inmates after a scuffle broke out among them. He had also produced the accused prisoners’ statements as proof.
The court had rejected the medical report and ordered an independent medical examination. Jail officials were asked to produce the prisoners they had accused of beating up the complainants.
When the accused prisoners appeared before the court on Monday, they said that they were not involved in any fight. The jail officials asked us to sign the statements and we did, they said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2013.