The Internal Accountability Branch of the Lahore Police, on the orders of the Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz, has completed their inquiry into the alleged torture of the husband of the woman who died in the open manhole incident near Bhati Gate.
Additional Inspector General (IG) Imran Mehmood, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nasir Aziz Virk and DIG Imran Kishor conducted the inquiry.
According to police sources, Station House Officer (SHO) and the Superintendent of Police (SP) claimed that Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operation and DIG Operations ordered arrests of the victim’s husband, Ghulam Murtaza.
They further confirmed that Ghulam Murtaza was lightly tortured during the interrogation.
Bhati Gate inquiry report
The inquiry report has found both SHO Bhati Zain and SP City Bilal guilty of the crimes they were charged with. The report also stated that SHO and SP had taken the woman’s husband to Bhati police station on the spot after arriving at the crime scene.
It was also revealed that both police officers did not question other relatives who were accompanying Ghulam Murtaza at the time. They immediately requested to see the girl’s father.
Another relative, Tanveer, was also requested to stay at the police station. The report stated that the torture of Ghulam Murtaza took place in the SHO’s room. CCTV footage obtained from the office supported the husband’s statement.
The deceased woman’s husband was illegally kept in the detention room for five and a half hours, the report confirmed. The inquiry team went to Shorkot to record Ghulam Murtaza’s official statement detailing his torture.
The report also confirmed that Ghulam Murtaza was pressured into accepting the charge of killing his wife and daughter.
Both police offers handled the case in an extremely unprofessional manner, the report stated. It further recommended departmental action against the officers.
The report has been submitted to IG Punjab who will deliver it to the Punjab Chief Minister.
In their defense, the police officers claimed that they took Ghulam Murtaza to the police station upon receiving misleading statements by rescue teams which alleged that it was impossible for a person to drown in the open manhole at the time.
