MANSEHRA: A local court has ordered registration of an FIR against an SHO, a sub-inspector and two policemen who allegedly kept three brothers in illegal confinement for over a week and subjected one of them to inhuman torture to force him to confess to a theft in the Battal area.

“Though the district police officer had already suspended the SHO and three others over the illegal confinement and torture of the three brothers, the victims moved the court, which ordered registration of an FIR against them,” Amir Shah, advocate representing the victims, told reporters on Tuesday.

Additional Sessions Judge Hassan Mehmood after hearing the arguments of counsel for the victims, Mohammad Shabbir and his brother, directed the district police officer to register an FIR against SHO Mohammad Bashir, Sub-Inspector Gul Nawaz and two other policemen allegedly involved in the illegal confinement and torture.

“The SHO and three others kept the three brothers in illegal confinement and subjected one of them to inhuman torture,” Mr Shah said.

He said police had called Mr Shabbir to the police station along with other suspects on September 17 in connection with a theft case. When his two brothers went to meet him the next day, they were also allegedly detained illegally. “When the bailiff, on the order of the local court, raided the police lockup, the SHO and other officials shifted them somewhere to hide their crime,” Mr Shah said.

“The police subjected Mr Shabbir to inhuman torture, administered injections and poured water into his nose to force him to confess to the theft and when his condition deteriorated, they dumped him and his two brothers, blindfolded, in a mountainous area,” Mr Shah said.

ACADEMIC SESSION: Torghar’s first-ever degree college for boys is scheduled to launch its maiden academic session within a couple of days.

“This is a major milestone for the district as we are set to launch the first academic session at the college. The induction of faculty and other staff has also been ordered by the relevant authorities,” Deputy Commissioner Torghar Dr Yasir Imran Khan told students who met him at his office in Judbah, the district headquarters, on Tuesday.

The students, who had recently enrolled at the pioneer degree college scheduled to begin academic activities within the next couple of days, apprised the DC of the issues still hindering the commencement of classes.

“You should not be worried about the launch of the regular academic session, as the Higher Education Department has ordered the posting of lecturers and other staff on the request of the district administration,” Dr Imran said.

He said the district administration was committed to providing equal educational opportunities to the youth of Torghar and that the launch of the academic session at the district’s only degree college was part of that effort.

Meanwhile, the body of a missing youngster was found in the Khane Shakora area of Battal.

Mohammad Sajid had gone out for some work the other day but failed to return home, prompting his family to lodge an FIR with the Battal police.

Locals spotted his body and informed the police, who shifted it to a local health facility. The body was later handed over to the family after completion of medico-legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026