Kot Radha Kishen case: Police departmental inquiry sought in lynching case

IG blames ASI for negligence who, in turn, says he is being made scapegoat

ISLAMABAD: The top court has directed the IG Punjab police to complete departmental inquiry regarding the police personnel, who showed negligence in the incident related to the lynching of a Christian couple on November 4, 2013 in Kot Radha Kishen, and submit the report on February 26.

The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court (SC), headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk while hearing a suo motu case, has observed that prima facie there is a contradiction in the statements of police officials in this case.

During the hearing, ASI Abdul Rasheed alleged that due to the SC’s fear, police department is making him a scapegoat. He added that before their arrival at the scene, the mob had already launched attack on the couple.

IGP Punjab Mushtaq Sukhaira fixed responsibility on the ASI for not handling the situation when the mob burnt the Christian couple, adding that Abdul Rasheed has been suspended from service and charge framed against him to initiate disciplinary action.

The IG says that if he shows mistrust over the department’s inquiry then he may seek judicial inquiry.

The chief justice told him that according to the owner of brick-kiln, police was intimated one day before but the police did not take action to secure the Christian couple, adding that at least the police could fire shots into the air.

Upon this, Jawad Qamar, who was DPO Kasur at the time, told the bench that due to aerial firing, six families of the Christian community could be injured who resided near the spot where the incident occurred.

The bench observed that further proceedings of the case will be taken up after receiving the departmental inquiry report. Hearing of the case is adjourned until February 26.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2015.