LAHORE: A seven-member inquiry panel has submitted its findings to Chief Secretary Jawad Rafiq Malik into the video leak of a woman prisoner who had levelled serious allegations of sexual harassment against a prisons department senior officer.

Chaired by IG Prisons Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig, the panel comprised DIG Prisons Qazi Mohammad Aslam, district jail superintendent Asad Warraich, deputy director inspectorate of prisons Athar Jan Dar, psychologists Sadia Zafar and Syeda Fatirna Hasnain and lady deputy superintendent central jail, Gujranwala Balqees Maryam.

While declaring the allegations of the woman false and fabricated, the committee has recommended to the home department forensic analysis of the video clip. It has also requested the authorities to pursue the case in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to expedite the investigation into the case as the matter directly relates to the integrity of the Punjab prisons department as well as the senior officers serving there.

On the directions of the chief secretary, the home department had formed the inquiry panel and directed the IGP prisons to submit a detailed report in this respect.

The unidentified woman prisoner, in her recorded video clip, had levelled allegations of rape against a DIG prisons with involvement of other officers. She said ‘abortion of babies’ would follow if any victim got pregnant. She alleged the district jail Lahore’s staff had been taking women prisoners to the office of the deputy inspector general (DIG) to “sexually please him”. She had appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the incident and order an impartial investigation to take action against the guilty officers.

The video clip had got viral on social media, showing the woman with covered face levelling serious allegations against the DIG.

“The allegations levelled in the said video are baseless, frivolous and fabricated just to malign and target the character of the officer (s) in question with some ulterior motives,” read findings of the report.

The committee is of the view that the contents of the viral video had not proved during the inquiry proceedings as no evidence was found regarding the violation of sanctity of women prisoners confined to the Central Jail, Lahore. The affairs of women ward are being run according to the relevant rules of Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.

“The authorities concerned in FIA may also be requested to expedite the probe and to submit report at the earliest,” reads the report. It said the PFSA may also be requested to give report on the forensic examination of video clip.

Moreover, the authorities in FIA may be requested to expedite the probe and submit report at the earliest as a complaint has already been lodged with the FIA Cyber Crime Wing, Lahore by the prisons department to investigate the matter instantly.

Facts & findings of the inquiry

The report stated that the chairman of the inquiry committee reached Central Jail, Lahore, along with women members of the panel on May 21 and interviewed women prisoners individually on devised protocols, SOPs and recorded their statements. The said video clip is about 1.22 minutes long, and no evidence is provided about where she is making the video from.

In the said video, she only named a DIG who never comes in contact with prisoners while no other official including warders, jailers, guards or superintendent was named. The report stated that contrary to the contents of the video, the Women Ward is located in Central Jail Kot Lakhpat, Lahore instead of the district jail which is completely separate with 12 feet high enclosure wall.

No woman prisoner is allowed to leave the ward at any time except meeting siblings or for court production. All women’s barracks are ensured double locks and after final lock up at evening, their keys lie with lady deputy superintendent. This double lock system exists at the entry gate of the ward for the safety and security of the prisoners confined to the ward. Two sets of keys are available; one is kept by the official deputed for duty inside the ward during day and night while the other remains in the custody of lady deputy superintendent at night time.

“As alleged in the viral video, no such incident has ever taken place in the 126 years history of jails, since the SOPs and rules are strictly adhered to,” reads the report.

In Central Jail Lahore, 153 closed-circuit CCTV cameras are installed by the NRTC which provide 24/7 security surveillance which records every kind of movement of prisoners and staff 24/7, with a backup recording of 55 days, which is stored in server of NRTC (an army organisation).

The Central Jail, Lahore, is situated about 16km from the DIG office. It appears impossible that a prisoner can be taken out of jail and be produced in the office of the Lahore Region.

The statements of all the women prisoners, lady deputy superintendent and woman medical officer were recorded and inquired about the treatment so extended by the jail administration to them.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2020