LAHORE, Jan 26: Justice Syed Shabbar Raza Razvi of the Lahore High Court on Thursday got a criminal case registered against the officials of the Shahkot police, who had taken into custody a petitioner and his friend from court premises soon after the proceedings in a habeas corpus petition were over.

The court also directed the Old Anarkali police to register another criminal case against sub-inspector Ahmad Yar of the Nankana Sahib Saddar police for illegally detaining two persons and releasing one of them after receiving bribe.

Consequent to the order, the Old Anarkali police handcuffed SI Ahmad Yar and also took into custody a few officials of the Shahkot police and lodged them in lock-up.

Haroonur Rashid of Nankana Sahib moved the LHC in a habeas corpus petition the other day, alleging that the Saddar police took him and Muhammad Ashraf into custody on the charge that they were wanted in a criminal case. His counsel, Imran Raza, submitted that petitioner Haroon was set at liberty on receiving an illegal gratification of Rs9,000 and a mobile phone set while SI Ahmad Yar demanded Rs50,000 for Ashraf’s release.

The court appointed a bailiff, who recovered Ashraf and produced him before Justice Muhammad Muzammil Khan on Wednesday because Justice Shabbar Raza Razvi was on leave. The court released Ashraf on bail and directed the Nankana Sahib police to register a case against DSP Rao Zameer Ahmad, SHO Sajjad Ali and SI Ahmad Yar for keeping Ashraf in illegal detention.

When the petitioner and others came out of the courtroom, the Shahkot police took him and his friend Nawaz into custody. The case was taken up by Justice Razvi on Thursday and he directed the police to arrest the offending policemen.