HYDERABAD, Dec 7: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, issued on Wednesday notices to Hyderabad regional police officer, provincial police officer and additional advocate general to file their comments within two weeks on a constitutional petition filed by Gul Mohammad Soho.

The petitioner said that he had been paraded naked during the local body elections at the behest of ruling PML leaders.

The petitioner was represented by Advocate Ayaz Latif Palijo.

He cited DPO, SP investigations, Matiari police station SHO and Shahabuddin Shah, the senior vice-president of the PML, as respondents.

He said that on August 25 during the local body elections, he had been kidnapped and tortured by Shahabuddin Shah, Farzan Haider Shah and Suleman Shah.

He said the kidnappers had stripped him and forced him at gunpoint to walk naked in the town. Mr Soho said that the police had refused to lodge an FIR initially.

The FIR was ultimately lodged on the orders of the apex court on September 27, the petitioner said.

He stated that in compliance with the apex court’s order, the Sindh PPO directed Hyderabad RPO Bachal Sangri to look into the matter. The RPO later asked the AIG crime and investigation, Mohammad Younus Chandio, to investigate the matter.

The petitioner said that the AIG directed inspector Amanullah Shahani to conduct an inquiry in respect of the petitioner’s case.

The inspector visited the place of offence several times and discussed the matter with both the parties, their witnesses, Shahpur police station SHO and Matiari TPO.

The petitioner said that the report, which was submitted to the AIG by the inspector, said that Ghulam Mohiyuddin alias Jani, son of Shahabuddin Shah, and Ghalib A. Shah, son of Mohammad Murad Shah, were involved in the kidnapping of the petitioner along with Khursheed Khoso and Hassan Ali Khoso on political rivalry.

He said that AIG Mohammad Younus Chandio also conducted an inquiry and found the accused involved in the crime.

Mr Soho said the police lodged a case against the accused on directions of the RPO.

He said that the respondents approached the Sindh chief minister, when the investigation documents were sent to the Matiari ASP, for transferring the investigation to some other official.

Mr Soho said that following the directives of the chief minister, the PPO issued a letter to SP investigation Altaf Hussain Qadri, the right-hand man of the respondent, Shahabuddin Shah.

He said the inquiry would not be fair as the SP was in close contact with the respondents.

The petitioner said that the case should be investigated by an honest officer like RPO Bachal Sangri, Hyderabad DIG Mazhar Sheikh and AIG Younus Chandio.

He said that the respondents should be stopped from pressurizing his witnesses since transfer of the investigation of his FIR.