ISLAMABAD: The capital police did not initiate legal action against a man who had allegedly hit a vehicle and manhandled its driver.

Police officers told Dawn that there was a road accident on Ninth Avenue in front of the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) office. A vehicle hit a Toyota car twice from the rear and later its driver along with his guards attacked and manhandled the driver of the car, they added.

They also broke the mobile phone of the driver, Hasnain Zafar. Mr Zafar called Rescue-15 from the mobile phone of his friend and informed them about the incident.

By the time the police reached the spot, the riders of the vehicle had escaped. Mr Zafar later lodged a complaint with the Margalla police and in response the police called the driver of the vehicle to the police station.

However, on the intervention of a senator, a senior police officer asked the Margalla police to release the driver without initiating any legal action, including registration of a case. The Margalla police followed the instruction and let the man go.

The complainant of the case, Hasnain Zafar, when contacted, told Dawn that the driver of the Vigo was a grandson of a PTI senator.

“I and the driver of the Vigo remained at the police station for three to four hours and police asked me to settle the issue,” he added.

Later, the senator came to the police station and met the DSP who handed the keys of the Vigo to him, Mr Zafar said, adding later he and his grandson talked to each other in a room and within five minutes both left the police station without saying any word to him.

He also denied that both had reached a settlement.

When this reporter called Senator Dost Mohammad for comments, he did not pick his mobile phone.

He, however, replied to SMS and Whatsapp messages, saying: “I am in a graveyard, we will talk tomorrow.”

When contacted, Superintendent of Police (SP) Saddar Zone Nosherwan Ali told Dawn that this was a road rage accident. The driver of the Toyota hit the Vigo at Shaheen Chowk and later the Vigo did the same, he added.

The riders of the vehicles were youngsters and also entered into a brawl, he said. After getting information, the Margalla police brought them to the police station where they settled the matter on condition that both sides would repair their own vehicles and left the police station.

Replying to a question, the SP denied that he had received any call from anyone for the release of the driver of the Vigo.

When asked did the police follow the legal procedure by making the settlement in writing and making it part of the police record, the SP answered in the negative.

As both the sides reached a settlement, legal proceeding was not followed, he added. “Now, I have ordered the police to obtain the footage of the accident from the Safe City Project cameras to establish the facts,” he said. If they wanted to get a case registered, the police are ready to do so, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2021