By Special Correspondent
LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Muhammad Ameer Bhatti on Monday suspended SHO Sialkot Cantt after he failed to satisfy the court over the grounds for the arrest of senior anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan.
Subsequently, the Chief Justice adjourned the proceedings until 1 pm with a clear intimation to District Police Officer (DPO) Sialkot of serious consequences as well. Seeking original records pertaining to the arrest of the journalist, the court also summoned Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sialkot.
The single bench was hearing a petition seeking directions to the concerned authorities to produce Imran Riaz Khan before the court, alleging he was being held under “illegal detention” by the police. Imran Riaz Khan, a vocal supporter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and his policiesis, was arrested by the police last week.
The government had sprung into action and launched a crackdown against PTI supporters following the arrest of former PM Imran Khan from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9.
Notably, during earlier proceedings, Chief Justice Bhatti had directed the IG Prisons Punjab to produce the CCTV footage of Imran Riaz’s arrival and release from the jail by May 15. Furthermore, the Chief Justice ordered the DPO to present the original record of Roznamcha (police daily diary). During the course of proceedings, neither the SHO nor DPO could satisfy the court on the reasons following which the anchorperson was arrested.
As the original Roznamcha was put before the court, CJ Bhatti censured SHO Sialkot Cantt for his unsatisfactory replies. “You have failed to mention where did you receive the detention orders, nor did you mention your departure/ arrival at the police station. You can’t even say who specifically ordered you to take the anchorperson into custody,” the judge said.
“Did you have the detention order when you left the police station to arrest him?” CJ Bhatti inquired. Upon this, the SHO said that he had, in fact, got the detention orders after Imran Riaz Khan had been arrested. The SHO also confirmed to the court that the police picked him from the airport.
Dismayed by the response, the Chief Justice observed that “this means you left the police station to arrest Imran Riaz Khan without a detention order in hand”. “The Roznamcha is where you register your every single move,” the judge remarked, “but not a single person at the police station was bothered to make the entries”.
The judge went on to raise questions concerning the details of the detention order. However, the SHO did not offer any more answers and opted to remain silent. “I am giving you a show cause notice and you will have seven days to submit a written response. In the meantime, you will remain suspended from your duties,” CJ Bhatti said.
The judge continued questioning the DPO and inquired about the details of the detention order as he noted that in the previous hearing, he had committed before the court that he had passed the orders to the SHO to make the arrest. “I had just received the information,” the officer responded.
“Yes, I am aware that you received the information but the court wants to know who the informer was and why these details were left out of the Roznamcha,” the judge posed a question. “There is a procedure that was followed,” the DPO said, and added, “when police officials receive a call from the informer, they reach the spot and make arrests. Then FIRs are registered and the arrest is mentioned [in record]”. “But in this case, the SHO left the police station to make the arrest without making any mention of it in the Roznamcha,” the judge maintained.
Irked by the account offered by the officers, the Chief Justice said that “if you all will run things as per your own wishes then close the books of the Constitution and do as you please”. Later, on the direction of the court, the video of the anchorperson’s arrival at the jail upon his arrest was also played in the courtroom. Subsequently, proceedings were adjourned until 1 pm.
