BAHAWALPUR: The Vehari district police officer (DPO) has suspended Luddan station house officer from service after a court bailiff recovered several handcuffed persons, including women and children, from a private torture cell, allegedly run by the SHO.

Dawn has learnt that the illegal torture cell was unearthed when a bailiff conducted a raid on a building on Tuesday to recover a man, Imtiaz Daultana of Mauza Ghulam Ali Shah, whose cousin had approached the court with a plea that he had been kept in illegal custody by Luddan SHO Amin Jhandhir.

Jhandir had allegedly detained Imtiaz on an informal complaint about a monetary dispute.

The court directed a bailiff to conduct a raid and recover the victim.

Several handcuffed persons recovered

During the raid, it transpired that several other handcuffed persons, including women and children, had also been detained illegally in the cell.

According to the district police spokesman, taking notice of the illegal cell, Vehari DPO Tassawar Iqbal suspended and charge-sheeted SHO Jhandir.

He said the SHO was found guilty of abuse of power and a regular inquiry has been instituted against him after he was closed in the police lines.

According to official sources, during the bailiff’s raid on the cell, some other police officials present there fled away in their official vehicles. They say that the court action against the SHO and other officials involved in the scam was awaited, following the submission of the report by the bailiff.

The spokesperson says that the DPO has appointed Vehari SP investigation as inquiry officer, directing him to submit a report at the earliest. He added that further action against the SHO and others would be taken in the light of the inquiry report.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026