Prisoner forgives cops for fracturing his leg

The policemen allegedly fractured detainee’s leg after he failed to pay a bribe.

LAHORE:

An additional district and sessions judge on Wednesday snubbed the deputy superintendent of Central Jail while hearing an application by a prisoner seeking action against the policemen who allegedly fractured his leg after he refused to pay them a bribe.

The judge told Deputy Superintendent Muhammad Zahid that cruel attitude towards prisoners in judicial custody would not be tolerated. He said there was no law that allowed policemen to humiliate prisoners, rip off their clothes or drag or torture them.

The court directed jail authorities to step outside the courtroom so the applicant, prisoner Umair Raza, could record his statement. However, Raza forgave the policemen involved. The judge remarked that he was aware why the prisoner had forgiven his tormentors. Addressing the deputy superintendent, the judge said it was magnanimous of the prisoner, otherwise the policemen could have been prosecuted against under the relevant provision of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carried very stiff penalties. Raza demanded that he should be kept in a separate barrack.

The court directed Raza to inform the court if prisoners were being treated poorly in jail. The jail authorities were also directed to report whether or not Raza was kept in a separate barrack.

A few days ago, Raza had filed a petition in court stating that a jail assistant superintendent, identified as Zafar, had demanded a bribe from him. He said when he refused to pay the amount, he and other policemen, Shaukat and Bashir, beat him up so bad that his right leg was fractured. Raza claimed that the policemen would often thrash the prisoners who failed to fulfil their demands. He said they would also shave off prisoners’ heads and eyebrows as punishment.

He said he had been unable to pay the bribe jail authorities had demanded to escort him to court for case proceedings.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2014.