KARACHI, Sept 6: Police have allegedly been threatening innocent people in order to extort money on one pretext or the other, and those who question police’s authority, they allegedly implicate them in false cases.

It has been witnessed that policemen in the name of snap check of vehicles park their mobile vans on roads and streets, especially at night, and stop people travelling on motorcycles or in cars.

People are being asked to show the papers of their vehicles and other documents. The behaviour of policemen is annoying to people.

Narrating his experience, a victim said he was coming towards Nazimabad when he was stopped by the Soldier Bazaar police at Lasbella Chowk. He was asked to show papers and insurance. After he showed the papers, he was asked to show his driving licence. He questioned the authority of district police, saying they were not supposed to check driving licence as it was the duty of the traffic police. Whereupon a policeman lost his temper and threatened him, saying: “Do not try to teach us the law.” Police detained the man and took him to a traffic police checkpost where he waited for an officer of the traffic police for more than an hour. Finally, the man was challaned for not possessing driving licence.

At times, police register false cases against innocent people forcing their families to run from pillar to post to prove the victims’ innocence. However, neither a case is usually registered against such policemen nor an FIR under section 182 of PPC is registered against them.

Mohammad Umer, with his friend Saeed Rauf, was on his way to deposit fee (Rs12,000) for his sister at the Jinnah University for Women. He was intercepted by the Baghdadi police near Miran Shah graveyard, Phoolwali Gali, around 11am.

Police took the two men into custody, allegedly snatched the cash from them and implicated them in an FIR 113/2002 for possessing 20 grams of charas.

Later, an inquiry was held, that found that the case FIR 113/2002 was falsely registered against Umer and Saeed. The DIG Karachi (Operations) was asked to take departmental action against sub-inspector Feroz, ASI Mohammed Ali, head constable Khalid and constable Muzaffar Khan.

These policemen were issued showcause notices in June to appear before the DIG Karachi (Operations) in a week, otherwise an ex-parte decision was to be taken against them, but they have still not appeared before the DIG (Operations). The victims’ families have been running from pillar to post to seek justice.

Under the new Police Order 2002, action can be taken against such policemen under the Order’s section 156 (c), which reads: “Whoever, being a police officer, vexatiously and unnecessarily detains, searches or arrests any person shall, for every such offence, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to five years and with fine.”