ISLAMABAD, Jan 6: The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed surprise over the involvement of Punjab Chief Minister’s complaint cell in delaying the punishment imposed on a police official by ordering a parallel probe into the alleged rape of the wife of a suspected robber.

“It is astonishing how the complaint cell of Chief Minister’s Secretariat figures in this matter and pass directions for investigation,” Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar observed while presiding over a three-member bench that had taken suo motu of a reported incident involving two police officers – Abdul Qayoom and Natiq Shah – of Nasirabad police station in Rawalpindi who had allegedly raped the robber’s wife.

Attorney General Sardar Mohammad Latif Khosa, who was also present in the courtroom, said the chief minister’s cell had no jurisdiction to interfere in the police investigations.

The Supreme Court also expressed displeasure with the additional sessions judge Rawalpindi for granting and extending the pre-arrest interim bail of Natiq Shah 10 times.

“Neither we expect such behaviour from a police officer nor we will tolerate this in future,” observed the chief justice.On Tuesday, City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Rao Mohammad Iqbal appeared before the court to present a report stating that Anwer Khan, an alleged robber and husband of Rehana Bibi, had sustained injuries in crossfire with citizens in Westridge.

Iqbal’s accomplice, Abdul Shakoor, was killed during the exchange of fire, however, Rehana rescued her husband and took him to some safe place. The police later raided the place and arrested Anwer. Twenty-three days after the arrest, Rehana complained that she had been raped by the police officials.

Investigations carried out by Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Khalid Paracha found Natiq Shah and Abdul Qayoom guilty, CPO Iqbal said, adding that Qayoom was behind the bars, whereas Natiq Shah was on interim bail. The official on bail is also being proceeded against departmentally, the CPO informed the court.

Expressing surprise over the conduct of the Rawalpindi additional sessions judge, the bench observed that the attitude of the judicial officer in granting bail to Natiq Shah seemed to be unjustified.

Taking advantage, the police official also moved an application before the chief minister’s complaint cell, accusing that inquiry against him was being conducted by a “biased officer”.

On this, RPO constituted a committee to probe the matter, which had not yet presented its report.

The attorney general also deplored the fact that the pre-arrest bail of the accused was extended 10 times, which was really sad and could not be justified. He requested the court to cancel the bail.