SHC dismisses cop’s plea for transferring kidnaping case

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday dismissed a plea filed by an Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) Karachi cop for shifting his case from anti-terrorism court (ATC) to session court.

A SHC bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal, heard a plea moved by ACLC cop, Rizwan Ali, for transforming his case pertaining to his alleged involvment in kidnaping for ransom, but the court dismissed his plea and directed the anti-terrorism court to record statement of the investigating officer of the case. “Do policemen wear uniforms and sit in police stations to kidnap civilians?” The court remarked. The court remarked, do the policemen stay in the police for doing such things?

“Tell the truth, did the policeman kidnap the citizen? The court inquired from the investigating officer. Speak the truth, Justice Muhammad Iqbal said.

The investigation officer stated that ACLC official Rizwan along with frontman Bahadur abducted the citizen. He said Khokhrapar police had caught the ACLC official red-handed and registered the case. The evidence against the ACLC official has been collected and submitted to the ATC, the investigating officer said.

The investigation officer said ACLC official Rizwan had been arrested from Shahrah-e- Faisal during committing robbery. The accused cop stated before the court that they had arrested citizen Jamil instead of the real accused due to misunderstanding from Khokhrapar. The court asked where the real accused Jamil is now. The accused replied that the real accused Jamil is still at large.

He stated before the court that no one asks those working in ACLC, the area where they go for action is not allowed by the SHO, the accused cop said. “I swear of the children, I did not take the extortion,” accused Rizwan stated.

The court remarked that the case shows accused policemen misused authority and police power. The case cannot be transferred from the anti-terrorism court to the Sessions Court, the court said.