KARACHI, Sept 23: A sessions court on Friday directed the police to register a criminal case against some officials and personnel of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, for detaining citizens in wrongful confinement.

Disposing of an application filed under Section 22-A of the criminal procedure code, Additional District and Sessions Judge (east) Chaudhry Waseem Iqbal directed the Shah Faisal Colony SHO to register an FIR against the official in charge and other officials/personnel of a Rangers wing, located in Jamia Millia, Malir, if a cognizable offence was made out.

Applicant Zeeshan submitted that Rangers picked him up along with his brother, father and four neighbours on Sept 10 from their houses and detained them at 43 Wing, Jamia Millia Malir.

He maintained that on Sept 12, a sessions court asked a judicial magistrate to raid the Rangers office for their recovery, but the judicial officer was barred from entering the office. He added that they were released on the night of Sept 12.

However, he alleged that they were subjected to torture and thrown out of a moving vehicle and subsequently he had his leg broken. The applicant also blamed the paramilitary soldiers for taking away licensed weapons, jewellery and other valuables from his house.

Earlier, he said that some of his neighbours were beaten up by five to six men and they along with the victims approached the police station concerned to lodge a complaint. However, one of the relatives of an attacker was a Rangers man; therefore, their houses were raided and they were taken into custody, he added.

He cited Brigadier Javed, Colonel Raja Sabir, Inspector Azhar, sub-inspectors Khalid and Shabbir, a few personnel of the Rangers wing of Jamia Millia, Malir and some private men as respondents in the plea.

He maintained that he approached the police station concerned, but the police refused to register a case and prayed to the court to direct the police official concerned to register an FIR.

The court also summoned the SHO, who stated that he received the application for registration of a case against Rangers personnel, but the complainant did not come to record his statement.

After hearing both sides, the court directed the SHO to record the statement of the applicant under Section 154 of the criminal procedure code and register a case against the respondents if cognizable offence was made out and submit a compliance report.

On Sept 16, the same court had directed the Rangers director-general to take a departmental action against responsible officials after holding an inquiry into the incident.