BAHAWALNAGAR / LAHORE
The Punjab government and Pakistan Army on Friday pledged transparent investigations into a “face-off” between police and army personnel following the arrest of a serving officer, which took the social media by storm over the Eid holidays.
Four personnel of Madressah police, including the station house officer, have been booked and arrested on charges of keeping a man and his two sons, including an army official, in illegal detention, dereliction of duty and misuse of authority.
Another policeman, the Maroot police SHO, has been suspended and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against him for airing “misinformation” regarding the matter on social media.
The FIR lodged on the complaint of inspector Saifullah Hanif with Madressah police on April 10 said that former SI/SHO Rizwan Abbas, ASI Mohammad Naeem, constables Mohammad Abbas and Ali Raza arrested Mohammad Khalil and Mohammad Idrees and their father Mohammad Anwar, who were nominated in an FIR registered on April 8.
Instead of presenting them before a magistrate, the accused policemen kept them detained at the police station for more than 24 hours.
According to police sources, ASI Naeem and SHO Rizwan Abbas raided the house of Mohammad Anwar, a resident of Chak Sarkari, on April 7 for the arrest of his son Rafaqat over possession of an unlicensed pistol.
Meanwhile, Anwar’s son Mohammad Khaleel, an army official, along with his brother Idrees and other family members, took the two policemen hostage. Soon, a video of the police officers being taken hostage was uploaded on social media.
Meanwhile, a police team reached the spot, got the SHO and ASI freed and arrested Mohammad Anwar and his sons Khalil and Idrees. In process, police not only subjected the family members to severe torture but also ransacked the house. A video of this act also went viral.
Later, a case was registered against 23 family members of Mohammad Anwar by the Madressah police under sections 324, 353, 379, 506B, 342, 186, 148, 149 of PPC and the Punjab Arms Amendment Ordinance 2015.
Sources said as the Bahawalnagar district police officer came to know about the detention of army officer, his father and brother, he initiated an inquiry into the matter.
Finding them guilty, the DPO got a case registered against SHO Rizwan Abbas and ASI Muhammad Naem and constables Ali Raza and Muhammad Iqbal, had them arrested and handed them over to the A Division police.
