LAKKI MARWAT: District police officer Ali Akbar has suspended six policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector, for gross negligence on their part after the murder of a woman outside a courtroom in the judicial complex, Tajazai.

“ASI Mohammad Azam and constables Inam Khan, Farman Khan, Mohammad Javed, Khurrum Iqbal and Inamullah Khan have been put under suspension with an immediate effect,” said a police official on Wednesday. He said that these cops were posted at the main gate of the judicial complex and the Tuesday’s occurrence of the woman’s murder outside the courtroom showed their inefficiency.

The official said that the suspended policemen might face departmental inquiry for the charges of dereliction, negligence and inefficiency. He said that police had started investigation into the murder incident after registration of case under Section 302 (premeditated murder) in Ghaznikhel police station. “Najibullah, an ASI of Ghaznikhel police station, is the complainant in the FIR,” he said.

The official said that the victim woman had allegedly eloped with one Ameenullah some two months ago and her father had lodged an FIR against Ameenullah and his brother Samiullah for abducting his daughter.

“But she was shot dead by her brothers as soon as she came out of the courtroom,” he said.

Meanwhile, the District Bar Association at a meeting has urged the chief justice of Peshawar High Court to take suo motu notice of the incident and order the local police to include the section of anti-terrorism act in the FIR.

The meeting, chaired by bar president Naimatullah Khan, also asked the local police authorities to take measures for ensuring foolproof security in the judicial complex. It also demanded ban on the entry of vehicles except those of lawyers and police vans carrying prisoners into the judicial complex.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2016