Undue immunity: Family, civil society demand justice for alleged police torture of victim

Auto electrician was thrashed for refusing to fix SHO’s personal car.


Our Correspondent June 20, 2013
Protesters have demanded that a criminal case be registered against the accused SHO. PHOTO: FILE

HARIPUR:


Family and civil society representatives on Thursday protested against the alleged police torture of a man in Abbottabad.


The victim Sabir, who had a limp because of polio, was taken to Rawalpindi General Hospital after suffering from spinal cord injuries and is feared to be partially paralysed.

Protesters have demanded that a criminal case be registered against the accused SHO and his subordinates.

According to Sabir’s brother, Sajid, City SHO Bashir and his two subordinates had come to Sabir’s shop to get the SHO’s car repaired. As he was attending to other customers, Sabir asked the policemen to come later. Taking it as a personal insult, the officials then forcibly dragged Sabir to the police station.

They (police) physically abused him for refusing to repair the SHO’s car, alleged Sajid, adding that the torture damaged his spinal cord. They also threatened to implicate Sabir in a fake case, he added.



Unable to bear the torture, Sabir fell unconscious. The policemen, fearing his death, took him to a nearby hospital where doctors initially refused to administer treatment without an FIR. But after receiving a call from DSP Tariq Khan, the hospital took his x-rays and other tests without putting it on record. The staff then referred him to Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad for further treatment. “We took him to Rawalpindi General Hospital where doctors told us his spinal cord has been damaged,” Sajid said. The details, however, could not be confirmed from the hospital staff.

Meanwhile, DSP Khan denied the accusations, adding Sabir was neither arrested nor tortured. Tariq said Sabir was brought to the police station to repair official vehicles but he fainted due to the heat and was taken to a hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

Sabir’s friends and family blocked the GT road on Thursday demanding immediate suspension of the accused officials. They also met District and Additional Sessions Judge Haripur Madad Ali Khan who asked them to bring a medical report after which legal action will be initiated.

Civil society organisations such as Human Development Organization (HDO), Rural Development Project, SAHARA Foundation and Sustainable Development Vision have also demanded legal proceedings against the officials.

Addressing media on Thursday, representatives of these organisations condemned the incident and said despite legislation, the police torture detainees with impunity.

They demanded inquiry into the case through a judge rather than police and better medical and social rehabilitation of the victim in the light of Law of Evidence and the UN convention against torture.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2013.

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