ISLAMABAD: A case has been registered against officials of the Khana police station for detaining a citizen illegally.

In July, the additional sessions judge (East) had ordered the police to initiate legal action against responsible officials/officers. The case was registered at the Khana police station under section 342 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

When contacted, Station House Officer (SHO) Khana Ashiq Khan told Dawn that there was a monetary dispute between two friends. He said Wajahat Sami lodged a complaint with senior police officers that he had paid an amount to his friend Dr Mohammad Saeed for a vehicle.

Saeed in connivance with another friend sold the vehicle to Sami, the SHO said. Later, the documents of the vehicle were found forged and as a result Sami lodged a complaint with senior police officers.

Under the directives of the senior officers, the SHO said, the Khana police picked Saeed and brought him to the police station.

He said Sami asked the police to recover his amount, adding he was not interested in getting a case registered against Saeed.

As a result, Saeed was detained in the police station without a formal arrest or any other legal formalities, he added.

The next day (June 30), a court bailiff raided the police station and recovered Saeed from the illegal custody of the police. Later, the additional sessions judge ordered the police to initiate legal action against the responsible police officials/officers.

The police tried to convince Saeed to withdraw his complaint against them but he refused, the SHO said, adding efforts to convince him continued for three months but to no avail. As a result, a case was registered against the police as ordered by the court.

According to the FIR, the court issued an order on July 1 and the police received it on July 5. It was ordered that on June 30 the court bailiff recovered Saeed from the police station and according to the bailiff report he was detained illegally.

The court order stated that legal action should be initiated against the responsible officials, the FIR added.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2021