HYDERABAD, Feb 8: Justice Mohammad Mujeebullah Siddiqui of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, here on Thursday directed the district police officer, Hyderabad, to probe into the alleged police high-handedness.

The allegations were levelled by a villager, Ahsan Ali Borano.

The DPO was directed to appoint an honest officer, not below the rank of DSP, and submit the report within one month.

The court however did not consider the prayer of the petitioner about payment of Rs30,000 as it involved controversial facts.

Ali Ahmed Lakho, advocate, filed the petition on behalf of the petitioner, citing Mohammad Usman Memon, SHO, Husri police station, ASI Mohammad Aslam Khanzada, Mohammad Waris Khaskheli, Jumman Babar, police constable and SSP, Hyderabad, as respondents.

The petitioner said that on Dec 24, 2001, the respondent policemen, except SSP, trespassed into the house of the petitioner and his relatives without any search warrant and added that the policemen belonged to the Husri police station while he was living in the area of the Tandojam police station.

He said that the policemen resorted to heavy aerial firing, maltreating him and the womenfolk. The policemen also barged into the house of his relatives, Ali Murad Mumtaz Ali Borano, Liaquat Ali Borano, Naseer Khan Borano, Allah Dino Borano and Mohammad Ramzan Borano. Arbab Ali, son of Ali Murad, and womenfolk were beaten and the policemen used abusive language, he charged.

He maintained that the policemen had arrested nine villagers and took away four buffaloes. The policemen said that they were doing this on the directives of the SHO of the Husri police station and were looking for some wanted persons. The detainees were taken to the police station and were severely tortured, the petitioner said.

He said that next day the police released the detainees on payment of illegal gratification of Rs30,000 but the buffaloes were still with the police. The policemen also obtained signatures of the detainees on a blank paper at gunpoint.

He prayed the court to order registration of FIR against the policemen and direct them to return Rs30,000 and the four buffaloes to the petitioner.

DIRECTED: Third Additional District Judge Mohammad Aslam Shaikh on Friday directed the central jail superintendent to produce the senior vice chairman of the PPP (SB), Sindh, Ameer Bux Umrani, before his court on Saturday.