PESHAWAR, March 20: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday directed the National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to conduct an inquiry against the SHO of Hayatabad police station suspected of being involved in extortion of money from detainees kept at illegal detention facilities.

The court also directed the police high-ups to send the SHO, Rajab Ali, and DSP of Hayatabad Circle, Raheem Khan, to the police lines within three days, as there were reports that they were running illegal detention facilities.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth also ordered the police department to close down all the illegal detention facilities within 10 days. It directed the NAB director general to conduct the inquiry and in the light of it file a reference against the SHO within 30 days.

The bench was hearing a writ petition concerning alleged illegal detention and torture of a 5th grade student, Iqbal Hussain, by the SHO. Hussain's mother, Ms Mamala, has filed the petition, challenging his detention.

While the petition was pending before the court the boy was set free by the police and he had appeared during the previous hearing. The boy had stated that he was taken into custody by Hayatabad police station officials near a checkpoint. He alleged that he got his leg and ribs fractured during torture in custody. The police officials concerned claimed that the boy was not kept in detention.

The chief justice read out several portions of an inquiry conducted against the SHO. The bench stated that the SHO was having four bungalows at Faqirabad, Hayatabad and Tarnab in Peshawar and at Sangjani in Rawalpindi. It was added that he was having a fleet of vehicles.

The bench told the SHO that he belonged to a poor social background and was appointed constable in 1995. The chief justice asked him from where he had amassed so much wealth. It was added that the SHO was so influential that even the provincial police officer could not dislodge him from his position.

The chief justice observed that officers like SHO Rajab Ali had been bringing a bad name to the police department and due to such officials people forgot the sacrifices of police.