JHANG: An ex-headmaster of an elementary school was kept allegedly in illegal detention at the Qadirpur police station for 10 days and subjected to torture.

Talking to Dawn, Kifayatullah Awan said a murder case was registered against his brother last year while he was also implicated in it.

He got pre-arrest bail from the additional district and sessions judge and after joining the investigation, he produced several witnesses to prove that he was teaching at the Govt Elementary School Pabbarwala, Jhang, when the murder happened.

He was declared innocent by the then station house office (SHO) and later by the deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jhang Saddar and the additional SP.

On March 22, Awan was sleeping in his house at Muradwala when Qadirpur police, along with two armed persons of the complainant party of the murder case, entered his house and took him to the lockup. Police also took away valuables, including his licenced rifle, mobile phone and cash, he alleged.

Awan said police had registered a fresh case of harbouring a proclaimed offender but his arrest was not recorded in Roznamcha. As a result, he could not get bail from the court.

During the detention, he was subjected to torture by the Qadirpur SHO and other personnel with sticks, he alleged.

Awan said the SHO had to produce him before a magistrate after a habeas corpus petition was filed.

When contacted, the SHO said Awan was arrested after being nominated in a case; however, his arrest could not be recorded as the police were busy in other matters.

Regarding the torture, he said they did not subject suspects to any torture but sometimes they had to resort to it for the recovery of stolen properties.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2016