LAHORE, Dec 24: Justice Khwaja Mohammad Sharif of the Lahore High Court on Friday observed that the people having links with the police high-ups usually escaped the process of law.

Rejecting the bail of Altaf Husain, the brother of a police officer of Lahore, the court held that it clearly seemed a case where the offender escaped the process of law by using the influence of his brother.

The bail was rejected on the writ petition of Falak Sher who submitted that the accused was granted pre-arrest bail by an additional sessions judge of Dipalpur without keeping in view the legal constraints.

The petitioner alleged that Altaf committed a crime three years ago and escaped arrest. Under the law, the accused had to surrender before the law before becoming entitled to bail. But the ADSJ allowed him bail before arrest without first courting arrest.

He contended that the accused used the influence of his brother SP Mushtaq who was now a deputy director of immigration in escaping arrest and securing the pre-arrest bail.

The court observed that if the offender was from the poor section of society, police treated him with all the severity but if he had links with the high-ups in the police hierarchy, he could save his skin by hook or crook.