GUJRANWALA, Aug 6: Aroop police on Monday arrested an associate professor of Government Islamia College in an embezzlement case lodged by a local property dealer and obtained his three-day physical remand from a judicial magistrate.

Prof Mahmood Akhtar Luk (BPS-19) of the chemistry department was a partner and caretaker of a private school at Professor’s Colony with an officer of Motorway Police and a property dealer, Muhammad Ashraf.

According to the FIR, Prof Akhtar as caretaker of the school allegedly embezzled Rs0.9 million and claimed the amount from partners.

However, Prof Akhtar Luk denied the allegations and said when the school started earning profit, his partner wanted him to quit. He alleged that on his refusal the police threatened him. He said his son Asad Mahmood, a topper in intermediate examination, was allegedly tortured by the police in his house in the presence of complainant Muhammad Ashraf.

After registration of the FIR, Prof Akhtar got an interim bail which was cancelled by Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Iqbal. The police took him into custody and produced him before the area magistrate who accepted police’s application for physical remand by Aug 9.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Professor and Lecturers Association has condemned the arrest of Prof Akhtar.

In a joint statement, PPLA Divisional President Iftikhar Ahmad Cheema, Secretary Ishaq Bajwa, Vice-President Sarfraz Ahmad Malik and local office-bearer Riaz Ahmad Gujar said Prof Luk was being targeted at the behest of the police officer.

They said without permission of the Punjab chief secretary his arrest was tantamount to misusing powers.

The PPLA office-bearers demanded immediate release of their colleague.