LHC orders FIR against SP, two SHOs

LAHORE:An FIR has been registered, by the Defense C police, against former SP Sadar Division Hafeezur Rehman Bugti, two SHOs and other cops on Tuesday on the directives of the Lahore High Court.

The case was registered after the lapse of 7 days of the orders of the 3-member division bench. The victim, Sajjad Hashmi, remained firm in getting justice and finally got the FIR registered under sections 365, 506, 380 and 109 of PPC and 255c.

The division bench comprising Justice Amjad Rafiq and Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry of Lahore High Court issued the orders of registration of a criminal case against SP Hafeez ul Rehman Bugti, two SHOs and other policemen for allegedly misusing authority by illegally abducting, torturing, conducting raids, registration of fake cases to settle a personal vendetta.

Earlier, in February and May 2023 a Justice of the Peace and the Lahore High Court had also issued an order registering the case on the complaint of a citizen Sajjad Hashmi. Hashmi had alleged that SP Hafeezur Rehman Bugti, while posted in Karachi, used police officers and officials of two divisions of Lahore to conduct illegal raids at the house of his (Hashim’s) sister, the office of his friend and carry out illegal abduction, detention and registration of fake FIR.

They were also accused of snatching cash, laptop and other valuables from him, his friend and brother-in-law. Hashim also alleged that SP Bugti had illegally grabbed his house. This happened allegedly when Hashim along with his former wife visited his office in 2020 while he was SP Sadar Lahore to settle a car ownership issue with a company he worked for. After the meeting, he returned to his workplace in Islamabad, but in his absence, the officer allegedly took over his house in connivance with his former wife. Both men had also allegedly scuffled at the residence in 2021, following which he lodged a police complaint against the police officer for threatening him.

In the meantime, Hashim’s former wife filed a case for dissolution of marriage and he moved a court for the possession of the house. He filed a complaint with senior police authorities after receiving a threatening phone call on April 9 2022. On April 18, 2022, police raided his office in the Defence and the home of his brother-in-law in Johar Town and allegedly tortured and humiliated him, his brother-in-law and a friend. A case was registered against the complainant for misuse of authority by Inspector Wajihul Hassan and other officials in the South Cantonment police station, which was discharged later.

Then Lahore SSP Operations Mustansir Feroz, who conducted the inquiry, found at least 12 officials guilty. The officials conceded that they had acted upon the orders of the SP who was their former boss. On the recommendations of the inquiry officer, the DIG Operations dismissed four officials and handed down forfeiture of service to eight others, including SHO Wajih and Imran.

Another inquiry by AIG Discipline and Inspection Shoib Khuram on orders of the IG also found Bugti and other officials guilty. Hashmi said that as the conduct of criminal actions was established in two departmental inquiries, he applied for registration of a criminal case. However, when the police station did not take any action, he approached the Justice of Peace who ordered the registration of the case against police officers. At the time, the accused policemen approached the Lahore High Court in May for an intra-court appeal on which the division bench disposed of their petition and asked the SHO to register an FIR.