Woman-beating cop taken to court

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed senior police officers to file comments on a petition by a woman who was allegedly publicly beaten and detained by the DSP of Kandiaro.

The Women’s Rights Cell approached the SHC impleading the Sindh Home Secretary, IG Sindh Police, RPO Sukkur, DSP Kandiaro Abdul Hameed Panhwar and Sessions Judge Naushero Feroze as respondents. It submitted that DSP Hameed Panhwar and a police party barged into the house of 22-year-old Allah Bachai in village Mohabbat Dero on March 4, 2010, allegedly robbed them of their cattle, cash and jewellry.

The police allegedly took away Allah Bachai and her children to Mohabat Dero police station, where she was ‘publicly’ beaten by the police.

The DSP kept her detained in his office for three days but released after her family filed a habeas corpus application in a local court. The counsel submitted a miscellaneous application under sections 22-A, 22-B of the CrPC, seeking an order against the DSP and his subordinates.

He prayed the court to direct the Sessions Judge to decide the case against them. The SHC division bench, comprising Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Syed Zakir Hussain, issued notice to the AG Sindh, Sindh Home Secretary, IG Sindh Police, RPO Sukkur and Sessions Judge of Naushero Feroze for April 23