Police, hosts clash at marriage ceremony

Nine arrested, family alleges police bias, said they also beat up women.

FAISALABAD: Nine people from a marriage ceremony in Ghulam Muhamadabad police precinct were arrested on Tuesday night on multiple allegations, including consuming alcohol.

A case was registered against 29 people with sub inspector (SI) Allah Rakha as the complainant.

Ghulam Muhammadabad police said that they raided Hafiz Murtaza’s mehndi celebrations at Adam Chowk,Tenki wali street, on receiving a complaint at the 15 helpline about guests resorting to aerial firing. The police team was led by union council 186 investigator, Riyasat Ali, who was allegedly taken into custody by the family. Riasat alleged that when he tried to arrest one Faqeer Hussain who was drunk the family resisted. He said that they held him for several hours, beating him with sticks.

Babo Khan, the groom’s father, however, told The Express Tribune that Riasat Ali himself was drunk and had two bottles of alcohol in his possession. He said that Riasat was falsely accusing his relative, Hussain, of possessing alcohol. He said his family was only celebrating the rasm-e-hina of his son, who as well as his daughter, was about to get married in a few days. Later, he said, the police beat up several women, injuring Razia Banu, his daughter; Jameela, his wife; and Nasreen, a relative. The police registered the case under Sections 353/186 (for obstructing public officials in performance of their duties), 365 (for keeping a policeman under illegal detention), 382 (robbing the police of cash and cell phones), 224 (getting an under custody prisoner released), 148/149 and 3/4 (for drinking alcohol).The police earlier arrested Murtaza but then released him on the request of the family and their neighbours.

Khan complained that the police was biased against them, saying that there was a marriage ceremony taking place a few block away from his house where people were actually firing in the air and consuming alcohol but the police was not taking any action against them. “They have taken bribes from the family and will never disturb their function,” he said. Khan alleged that the station house officer (SHO) of the Ghulam Muhammadabad police, SI Muhammad Asghar, did not appear at the scene because he had settled the matter with the other family.

When asked about Asghar’s absence, Gulberg Deputy Superintendent of Police Shaikh Khurram rejected that he could have received a bribe from the other family. He said that SHO Asghar was out of town. He said he was investigating another case and had to carry out a raid in that connection. Khurram said that he was aware about the other function but first needed to solve one case. “I will definitely raid that function once I’m done here,” he said. However, there was no report of a police raid at any other marriage function in the area. Those arrested include, Habibullah, Mahmood Ahmed, Khalid Mehmood, Siddiqi, Luqman, Ashraf, Ghulam Ali, Ghulam Murtaza and Jamal Din.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2010.