FAISALABAD: Despite being in full knowledge of the incident in which a man was kidnapped, tortured and the video of the episode uploaded on social media, Jhang Bazaar police did not act against the influential suspects till some news channels aired the news, official documents reveal.

When some news channels aired the footage of torture of Kashan on Sunday, police registered a case against Rana Ikhlaq, Ahmed Kuka, Umer Hayyat, Shahzeb, Ahsan, Rana Chand, Osama Ali, and Hamza on charges of allegedly kidnapping the victim, subjecting him to torture and humiliation and uploading the footage of the act on social media. The case was registered on the complaint of the victim’s mother Surayya Bibi.

An official document shows that the victim’s medical examination was got conducted by police on March 30.

The document (available with Dawn) reads that Khan Mohammad of Afghanabad had brought Kashan to the Jhang Bazaar police station and claimed he had a scuffle with Attaullah of Liaqatabad and Usman Ghani of Chak 279-RB and their accomplices.

The outhouse where Kashan was allegedly detained and tortured after kidnapping is situated in Afghanabad and two main suspects also belonged to the area.

It reads Assistant sub-inspector of Jhang Bazaar police, Mohammad Imran, had taken Kashan to the hospital for his medical examination and that the victim had torture marks on his head, left eye and bruises on elbows. After receiving the medical report, the document reads that Kashan reserved a right for taking legal action against the persons who injured him.

It also reads that after examination of the record it had come to surface that Kashan was booked in a cheque dishonour case (287/18) registered on March 26.

The SP concerned said Jhang Bazaar police had got the medical examination of Kashan conducted, but it did not register a case as no complainant was available. Meanwhile, on Monday all the suspects were produced before Judicial Magistrate Taseer Imran who gave them in physical custody of Jhang Bazaar police for three days.

According to sources, the two prime suspects—Ikhlaq and Kuka--were close relatives of a lawyer, who was also present in the courtroom along with some of his colleagues.

Talking to the media accused, Rana Ikhlaq, who was also arrested by the police a couple of weeks ago in connection with a robbery, said Kashan owed him money but refused to pay the amount.

He alleged that Kashan along with his two accomplices had resorted to firing outside his house and was nabbed, while his accomplices fled the scene.

According to official sources, instead of registering a robbery case against Ikhlaq, police booked him for possessing illegal weapon for unknown reasons.

Jhang Bazaar SHO Malik Jahangir, without explaining why any section of Anti-Terrorism Act was not included in the FIR in the torture footage case, said appropriate sections had been made part of the case.

Published in Dawn, Aprill 10th, 2018