LAHORE: A preliminary inquiry into the physical assault and fall of a woman passenger to death from Millat Express on April 7/8 has revealed that the railway police officials mishandled the case, showing irresponsible behaviour while dealing with the deceased passenger. However, it couldn’t find evidence of involvement of the officials in pushing the woman to death, Dawn has learnt.

“It is a finding of the preliminary inquiry conducted by the SP (Railways, Karachi division). A detailed inquiry is also underway, as a team headed by the DIG (South) is about to complete it in a day or two,” Pakistan Railways Police Inspector General Dr Rao Sardar Ahmad told Dawn on Thursday.

“It is true that no one from police, train staff or passengers pushed the woman (Maryam Bibi) to death,” the IG claimed, admitting that the constable should have shown restrain instead of beating the woman, who was mentally challenged as shown in the viral videos, and the children accompanying her.

According to a report, on April 10, a video went viral on social media, showing a railways constable beating and mistreating a woman. Report mentions that as per the daily diary reports of Railway Police Station Karachi Cantt and RPS Hyderabad, Constable Meer Hassan and Head Constable Muzaffar Ali were assigned duty on the Millat Express on April 7. After performance of their duty, they arrived at RPS Hyderabad at 7:25pm.

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In his statement, Constable Muzaffar said he was unaware of the beating of the woman by his colleague.

However, he said, Constable Hassan had informed him about a woman who was allegedly being disruptive, spitting on others, and causing disturbance on the train.

Muzaffar informed SHO Ghulam Hussain Brohi of RPS Hyderabad about the situation via telephone and requested assistance from a woman constable as the train was near the Hyderabad Railway Station.

He said ASI Tanveer Ahmed boarded the train in Hyderabad to address the situation.

In his statement, ASI Tanveer said he saw the woman sitting calmly with children and he found no complaints from surrounding passengers while he was not informed by anyone about the woman being beaten by a policeman. He talked to the woman and advised her to continue her journey peacefully, to which she agreed and he allowed her to proceed.

The statement of an eyewitness passenger, Imran, was also recorded. The report termed two police officers, ASI Tanveer and SHO Ghulam Hussain Brohi, responsible for serious negligence as they did not take required action.

BAHAWALPUR: The district police has approached the Punjab home department for the arrest of railways constable Meer Hassan, against whom Channigoth police in Bahawalpur district had on Wednesday registered a first information report under section 302 and other offences.

The police spokesman told Dawn that DPO Asad Sarfraz has sent a letter to the home secretary to seek government permission and send a team to Hyderabad, Sindh. This, he argued, was necessary as the nominated police constable was stationed in Hyderabad.

The spokesman added that as soon as the permission was granted by the provincial home department, a police team could be dispatched to Hyderabad for his arrest.

It merits mentioning that complainant Muhammad Afzal in his FIR had accused constable Meer Hassan of pushing his sister Maryam Bibi out of the moving train.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2024