ISLAMABAD, May 18: A Station House Officer (SHO), who is facing charges of torturing and electrifying an accused for car-lifting, approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the order for registration of an FIR against him.
The order had been passed by the additional sessions judge of Islamabad Jahangir Ahmed on May 3 while deciding the application of Mohammad Amir.
The application maintained that SHO Barakahu Mehboob Ahmed had severely tortured the applicant’s son, Abid Amir, who was allegedly involved in a car-lifting case.
The police had recovered a corolla car from the possession of Abid Amir in February this year, which had been stolen from the house of Brig. Khalid Sohail Cheema in 2011.
Following the theft of the car, the police registered an FIR and arrested three people including Ziaullah, who told the police that he had sold the car to Abid Amir for Rs200,000.
Police arrested Abid from Mianwali and brought him to Islamabad, taking his physical remand from the judicial magistrate of Islamabad.
According to Mohammad Amir, SHO Mehboob had severely tortured Abid during the remand and had forced him to confess other thefts as well.
The complainant maintained that Mehboob continued to torture and electrify Abid till he fainted. Mr Amir then obtained permission for Abid’s medical checkup, and the medico legal report (MLR) confirmed the torture.
The additional sessions judge had observed that Abid had become victim of inhumane torture by the SHO, and had ordered for the registration of an FIR against him.
In the petition filed in the IHC, SHO Mehboob maintained that he had arrested Abid after another accused in the car lifting case confessed to his crime and admitted selling the car to Abid.
He said there was no record of the said transaction and the value of the car was much higher than Rs200,000.
The SHO said the judge had not provided him with a fair opportunity to defend himself, and had passed the order without hearing his stance.
He added that the act was against the basic principles of justice and a violation of article 10-A of the constitution, which guarantees fair trial.