PESHAWAR, Feb 9: The local courts have filed 446 untraced cases so that it could not be misused by the police.

These cases were put before the courts of concerned area magistrates by the public prosecutor, stating that these cases were untraced and it needed to be filed.

These cases were put in the courts during the last six months of the last year. Previously, the police used to keep untraced cases with them and often misused them by victimizing innocent people in such cases.

After these cases were filed by the courts, the police won’t be able to arrest a person in such cases.

The police have to take prior permission from the concerned court for arresting any person or re-opening the case.

It is learnt that the issue of untraced cases was discussed during the monthly meetings of the Criminal Justice Coordination Committee presided over by the district and sessions judge, Peshawar, Hayat Ali Shah. The committee functions under Section 110 of the Police Order, 2002.

During those meetings the district public prosecutor, Zubair Khan, pointed out the misuse of untraced cases and stated that under the Criminal Procedure Code the police had to submit these cases before the court.

Sources in the local courts informed that the public prosecutor had acquired orders from the concerned courts, directing the local police to submit all the untraced cases before the courts.

These 446 cases belonged to 26 police stations of the provincial capital. Of these cases, 40 belonged to University Town police station, 35 Faqirabad, 31 East and West Cantt police stations each, 28 Chamkani, 27 Daudzai, 25 Gulbahar, 23 each Hayatabad and Hasthnagri, 21 Bhadabher, 19 Pishtakhara and 17 Yakatoth. Remaining 226 cases were in 14 other police stations.