HYDERABAD, April 5: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, warned an investigating officer of Hala police station not to keep people in wrongful detention in future.

The court released the detainee because he was not required in any case.

The order was passed on a criminal miscellaneous application after one person was found in illegal detention in the servant quarter of Hala police during a raid by Judicial Magistrate, Hala.

An applicant, Masood filed criminal miscellaneous application before the court, citing SHO police station Hala and sub-inspector of police as respondents.

The applicant claimed that Allah Jurio and Qadir Bux were his farmers and added that when he visited his lands on March 31, the women of the detainees informed him that the respondent police officials raided their houses and took away Allah Jurio and Qadir Bux.

He alleged that the police also misbehaved with the women and added that when he approached the police station, he was informed that detainees were picked-up because their relative, Iqbal, was required in a case.

He said that Allah Jurio complained of maltreatment and added that the lives of the detainees were in danger.

He prayed the court to issue rule nisi and appoint a judicial magistrate for conducting a raid on the police station.

The Judicial Magistrate Hala was appointed to visit the police station. He went there and found none in the police lock-up. However, at the pointation of one Qabool, he found Allah Jurio in the servant quarter but the other detainee was not there.

The investigating officer informed the Magistrate that he was picked-up by police in a crime but released and added that ASI Mohammad Hayat called him again.

The Magistrate did not find any entry in the roznamcha or in the FIR.

The SIP Dost Mohammad appeared before the court and said that the detainee was not tortured. The court said that the act of the SIP was highly condemnable and warned him to be careful in future.

The court said that police could not keep any individual in illegal detention regardless of the fact that his or her relatives were required in a case.