BAHAWALPUR: On the order of a court, the Hasilpur City police booked eight people, including its former SHO and three other policemen, on charges of torturing and keeping in illegal confinement a retired sub-inspector at the police station on Sept 4.

According to the FIR registered on the complaint of retired SI Muhammad Meraj, he along Muzammil Hussain and three other associates, went to the Hasilpur City Police Station for registration of a case against Khuda Bakhsh who had tortured Muzammil’s parents.

At this, SHO Inspector Altaf Hussain, who has now been transferred to the intelligence branch, flared up and slapped him. Altaf along with SI Rana Aqeel, SI Amjad, ASI Maula Bakhsh, Naib Moharrar Abid Gujjar and four his unidentified men tortured Meraj and his companions, dragged them on the floor and took their thousands of rupees and money from them, according to the FIR.

Meraj alleged that he and others were kept for about six hours in illegal confinement and were only freed after their signatures on a blank paper were obtained after the arrival of the DSP Hasilpur. Later, he made a call to Rescue 1122 whose officials gave them first aid.

Meraj said police did not take legal action against the officials and on the orders of magistrate, his medical examination was carried out. Later, he filed a petition for registration of a case under Section 22-A before the court of additional sessions judge (ASJ), which ordered police to register the case.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2023