DESPITE police reforms and a raise in the salaries of policemen nothing has improved. We still have ‘thana culture’. It is as difficult as before to get an FIR registered.

Recently, I went to a police station to get an FIR registered concerning the death of a victim. But when the duty officer took my statement and agreed to register the FIR, he was stopped to do so by the SHO without any reason.

I lodged a complaint with the court against the police station and SHO for refusing to register an FIR. After hearings, the court ordered the SHO to lodge an FIR is cognisable offence is found.

By using the word ‘if’, the court again passed the buck on to the police. I contacted the police station along with the orders but the SHO could not find the death of the victim ‘cognisable’ offence. After recording my statement and those of the witnesses, the senior investigating officer (SIO) at the same station sent a negative report to the area magistrate who, relying on the SIO’s report and failing to consider evidence on record and hearing me, dismissed my case.

I was compelled to file a petition with the high court against the magistrate and the SHO. All this happened owing to the corruption and the callousness that is rampant in the police.

Finally, my FIR was registered but at a cost which didn’t go to the national exchequer but into dirty hands.

M. Butt

Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2018