No consequences: SC orders fresh report on penalties against policemen in Sindh

Previous report on law enforcers serving involvement in criminal activities was rejected

KARACHI: The Supreme Court directed on Thursday the Sindh police chief to submit a fresh report disclosing the nature of the patchy record of police personnel across the province and penalties imposed on them.

The apex court's three-member bench passed this directive while dismissing the 'flimsy' report filed by the legal affairs AIG, regarding disciplinary action against the policemen who were involved in criminal activities but still enjoyed field postings.

The bench, comprising justices Amir Hani Muslim, Mushir Alam and Maqbool Baqar, was hearing a criminal miscellaneous application filed by former Sachal SHO Ismail Lashari, who had challenged the Sindh High Court judgement, which had ordered the registration of an FIR against him regarding the killing of 17-year-old Anisur Rehman Soomro.

The victim's family claimed that Lashari had demanded Rs500,000 as bribe for the release of Anis and killed him in a staged encounter by labeling him a terrorist after they failed to pay the amount.

During the course of the proceedings, the apex court judges took notice of the involvement of police officials in criminal activities and the lack of departmental action against them.

On February 27, IG Jamali was taken to task over his failure to act against such officers. The bench had ordered the IG to direct all the SSPs to ensure that character rolls of all the officers are maintained at district levels. The IG was also directed to submit a compliance report.

He was also ordered to conduct screenings of the officers suspected of being involved in criminal activities and to take disciplinary action against them. During Thursday's proceedings, the legal affairs AIG filed compliance reports to the court but the judges expressed dissatisfaction. "We are not satisfied with the reports submitted by the legal AIG on the issue raised before this court and incorporated in the order dated February 27," remarked the judges, as they rejected the reports.

They ordered the legal AIG to file a fresh report, disclosing the nature of the patchy record of the police personnel and the penalties imposed by the authorities on them. They further directed the officer to make sure that the report also contained details of the present postings of such police officers, with their character rolls, within two weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2015.