LAHORE: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Dr Haider Ashraf on Sunday suspended from service the station house officer (SHO) of Racecourse Police Station for detaining more than 70 people, including police officials, doctors and journalists, during a search operation at a private hostel.

A police team, led by SHO Sub-Inspector Rizwan Latif, raided a private hostel in the Patiala House area late on Saturday night and took more than 70 people into custody. They included five lawyers, three policemen, a doctor, a returning officer and three journalists. Police arrested almost all the residents of the hostel though they had produced their identification documents.

The matter was brought into the knowledge of DIG Dr Haider Ashraf who ordered immediate release of all the detained persons.

The DIG suspended SHO Rizwan Latif from service over misconduct allegation and directed Civil Lines Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Operations Umar Bilal to hold an inquiry into the matter.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2015