ISLAMABAD: The chairman, a deputy director, secretary and 40 other officials of the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) have been booked on various criminal charges.

A case was registered with the Ramna police in response to a complaint by Dr Mohammad Munir Ahmen from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences against the officials under Pakistan Penal Code sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 382 (teft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), police said.

The FIR said that the complainant and his wife visited the IBCC on May 23 to have some documents verified. The staff had objected to a letter, which was removed, and the documents were submitted again the next day.

The staff objected again, and also taunted the complainant, the FIR said. He then took the documents to the office of a programmer at the IBCC and complained about the staff’s misbehaviour.

The FIR said the programmer called the staff to her office. The staff called 40 other officials into the room, who began manhandling the complainant and his wife and even tore their clothes.

They also snatched a laptop and Rs70,000 in cash from the couple, and then detained them there, it added.

The couple was rescued by their friends, the FIR said. The complainant also alleged that some of the attackers were armed and threatened the couple at gunpoint. The complainant has asked the police to take legal action against the IBCC officials and staff.

Ramna Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Qaiser Niaz Gillani said that another version of this case was registered against the doctor by the IBCC staff, who have claimed the doctor misbehaved and manhandled them.

The doctor had recently returned from the United Kingdom and visited the IBCC to verify some documents, the SHO said. The dispute between him and the staff began over a fee and some missing photocopies. He said the police will initiate legal proceedings in the cases on Monday.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2019