102 cops booked on criminal charges in 2015

LAHORE

Lahore police registered at least 102 cases against officers and officials from the rank of constable to inspector on various criminal charges during the year 2015.

As per details, out of total 102 criminal cases registered against officers and officials, 34 cases were under investigation, 35 cases were challaned, 30 cases were cancelled, and two cases were untraced while an incomplete challan of one case was submitted. Over 150 constables, 10 head constables, 26 ASIs, 16 SIs, 10 SHOs, three inspectors and 15 traffic wardens were implicated in various criminal cases.

Seven murder cases were registered against police officers and officials of which five cases were under investigation while challan of two cases was submitted. Around nine cases under Section 324 were registered of which three cases were under investigation while challan of five cases were submitted. One case remained untraced. Seven cases of kidnapping registered against cops were under investigation. Cases against officers and officials were mostly registered on charges of stealing confiscated items from warehouses, replacing confiscated items dumped in warehouses, pick-pocketing the citizens while conducting their physical search, lifting goods while checking vehicles, manhandling citizens, injuring citizens, torturing citizens to death, committing robberies, tampering official documents, receiving ill-gotten money from citizens, threatening citizens of dire consequences, making forced entry into houses, and keeping citizens in illegal confinement. A major case which surfaced during the month of October 2015 and jolted the whole police department was the recruitment of at least 136 persons in the police department on fake documents. A case against Superintendent Establishment III Mohammad Riaz, constable Suhail Anwar, Asif Nadim, Mohammad Ramzan, ASI Khalid Mahmood and others at Old Anarkali police station on charges of inducting at least 136 persons through fake documents. The case was under investigation. 

During the month of February 2015, Line Officer SI Jehangir Ahmad informed that Naeem, son of Safdar Ali of Faisalabad, posted at Police Line Qila Gujar Singh Lahore belonged to defunct organisations and got training from Afghanistan. Police submitted the case challan.

During the month of August 2015, a case against a constable Shahzad and his two accomplices was registered at Shadman police station on charges of gang-raping a young girl and later sold her at Rs150,000 to one Mian Sahab. Case was under investigation. 

During the month of September 2015, a case against a constable Adil Khan was registered at Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate on charges of raping and filming a school going girl. The case was under investigation.

During the month of July 2015, a case against a head-constable Zahid and two constables Mohammad Bilal and Sajjad Ahmad was registered at Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate on charges of kidnapping one Bashir Ahmad and demanding Rs2 million as ransom for his release. The abductee returned after the family paid Rs1.5 million ransom. The case was under investigation. During the month of September 2015, a case against a constable Alyas posted at Qurban Line Security Branch was registered at Batapur police station on charges of crossing Indian Border and smuggling foreign cigarettes to India. Police submitted the case challan. During the same month, a case against Shalimar SHO SI Adnan Masood and ASI Nazeer was registered at Shalimar police station on charges of keeping a woman and her young daughter in illegal confinement. The case was under investigation. During the month of October 2015, a case against Nishtar Colony SHO inspector Ahsan along with 10 officials was registered at Kahna police station on charges of kidnapping two brothers Mohammad Akhtar and Mohammad Ramzan. The case was under investigation.

Similarly, three murder cases against 15 officials, including an ASI and SI were registered on charges of killing three persons in police custody. As per details, SI Mohammad Buksh nominated a boy Mohammad Aqib in a murder case registered at Johar Town police station in the month of January 2015. The SI threatened the victim Aqib’s father Maqbool Ahmad that he would hand over the body of his son to him. The matter was brought into the notice of higher authority and the investigation was transferred to DSP CIA Cantt Umar Farooq.

DSP called both the parties at his office for investigation. Later, the accused Mohammad Akbar, Mubashar Hassan, an unknown official of CIA and two constables Khalid Ferdoas and Muqaddas Hussain subjected Aqib to severe torture resulting into his death. A murder case against the accused persons was registered at North Cantt police station in the month of January.

The case was under investigation. Yet in another incident, seven officials of CIA Kotwali led by SI Pervez Khan took away an innocent boy Anwar from his house and subjected him to severe torture. Anwar’s father Liaqat Ali could not bear the torture being suffered by his son at the hands of policemen, upon which his condition went critical. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced brought dead. Police registered a murder case against the said SI and seven officials at Sundar police station in the month of March 2015. The case was under
investigation.

Similarly, an ASI Siraj Din and three officials took a woman Aysha Bibi, her son Zubair Masih and brother Arshad Masih to a private torture cell where they subjected them to severe torture, as a result, Zubair died. A case against the accused SI and other officials were registered in the month of March 2015. Police submitted the case challan to the respective court.