KARACHI: Two witnesses for the prosecution turned hostile before an anti-corruption court on Monday in a graft case against two police officers.

The then SHO of the Sohrab Goth police station, Inspector Fasih-uz -Zaman, and Assistant Sub-Inspector Rao Ashraf along with a private accused have been booked for allegedly detaining complainant Hakim Uzair Shah at the police station and taking a bribe against his release in 2013.

The complainant and one of his relatives, Hakim Ali Mohammad Shah, appeared before Judge Gulshan Ara Chandio of the Special Provincial Anti-Corruption Court and narrated their story.

However, the complainant denied that the accused persons, who were present in the courtroom, were the same who had demanded and collected the bribe against his release despite the fact that one of them was caught red-handed in the presence of a magistrate.

The second witnesses, who as per the prosecution had given the bribe to the accused at the police station, also refused to identify the police officers as accused.

Subsequently, public prosecutor Arif Siati declared the witnesses hostile under the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984 stating that they deviated from their previous stance and sought permission from the court to cross-examine them. The court granted the request.

During the cross-examination, both the witnesses denied that they deposed falsely due to pressure of the police officers concerned.

According to the prosecution, the complainant was picked up at the behest of a private accused by the police. They demanded Rs30,000 for his release. After taking Rs25,000 the police released the victim. However, the ASI was arrested red-handed in the presence of a judicial magistrate by a team of the anti-corruption establishment when he came to collect the remaining amount, it added.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2014