HYDERABAD: 2001 saw police grappling with criminals and dacoits
By M.H. Khan
HYDERABAD, Jan 2: The people of Hyderabad bid farewell to 2001 that saw police grappling with kidnappers and criminals and people continued to be detained in police lock-ups without any remand or legal justification.
However, there was a reduction in major offences like kidnapping for ransom and bomb blasts.
Around 224 people including men, women, children, policemen and criminals lost their lives while 499 were injured in 2001.
A total of 109 people were found in illegal detention during raids by judges and magistrates. Besides, a total number of 12,150 under-trial prisoners could not be produced last year on account of non-availability of escort or shortage of prisoners’ vans.
More than 100 cases of burns were reported to the Civil Hospital, the majority of them women as violence against women by their in-laws continued.
In other cases where women were not subjected to violence they themselves committed suicidal acts by sprinkling oil or petrol over their body in the wake of circumstances that forced them to resort to such extreme measures.
Of the cases reported, 10 males and 12 females expired.
Three cases, horrifying in nature, were reported this year in which three women were either burnt or tortured to death. These women included Parveen Sheikh, Falak Naz, and Nasreen.
The first two were burnt to death, according to their relatives, and the last one lost her life after suffering the worst form of torture.
Parveen Sheikh suffered 80 per cent burn injuries in her house under mysterious circumstances in October.
Falak Naz, according to her parents, was burnt by her husband and in-laws in Rohri and died in the Civil Hospital Hyderabad in September.
Nasreen was found dead in her house under mysterious circumstances in June.
Police acted wisely in all these cases and arrested the in-laws including the husbands of the women killed. Their cases are pending trial.
The crime rate indicates that cases of kidnapping, kidnapping for ransom, or bomb blasts show a visible decline after police made a major effort to contain such incidents.
According to official figures of the police, as compared to 81 cases of kidnapping in 2000, 66 cases of kidnapping were reported in 2001. Similarly, against 15 cases of kidnapping for ransom in 2000 only nine such cases were reported in 2001.
Police lodged 104 murder cases in 2001 against 99 in 2000 whereas 82 cases of attempted murder were also lodged.
A total number of 12 cases of rape were reported.
Police lost four policemen in two separate encounters, apparently on account of ill-planning by the raiding team.
Police successfully rescued a hostage, Dr. Sirajul Haque, from the defence area after several days of his kidnapping but due to haste shown by police officials the main culprits, who demanded ransom over the telephone from a public telephone booth, managed to escape.
There were three cases of dacoity and two of robbery on the highway. 81 cases of vehicle theft and 137 of burglary were lodged by the police.
The police also managed to make massive recovery of illicit arms when the drive was launched throughout Sindh province. 724 cases of illicit arms were lodged by the police though there was highly suspicious recovery of arms from the main areas of the city.
The police continued to detain people illegally at police lock-ups and police stations without any record or remand from the court of law.
Figures, collected by Dawn, showed that 109 people were found in illegal detention. All these people were found to be detained in police lock-ups and police stations in place of the people actually wanted.
There are several cases in which the detenues were found in fetters or shackles. While the use of fetters has been banned even inside the jail, how the police are using fetters at the police stations is anybody’s guess.
The detenues’ relatives showed some courage and moved applications before the Sindh High Court and Sessions Judge, who is also the director, Human Rights Board.
The members of the judiciary, advocates and journalists witnessed serious differences between the incumbent SSP, Hyderabad, Moazam Jah, and the then DJ, Hyderabad, Roohullah Chaglah as the number of raids on police stations increased.
The SSP argued that the lower courts did not give remand to police for enlarging the scope of investigation and ultimately accused were found in illegal detention.
The number of raids at police stations for the recovery of illegal detenues also fell after the SSP took serious notice of cases of wrongful confinement and the DJ, Hyderabad, ordered registration of cases against the SHOs under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
In two major cases of illegal detention, 20 people were kept in illegal detention at the Tando Allahyar police station and 13 people at the Chambar police station.
As per official figures, 20,437 under-trial persons were required to be produced within Hyderabad District this year. Of these, 12,629 were produced and 7,808 could not be produced before the courts.
Similarly, 18,441 prisoners were to be produced. Of these, 14,199 were produced and 4,242 could not be taken to the courts.
The police department is also running short of prisoners’ vans which badly affected the production of prisoners before the courts.
