The Sindh High Court (SHC) expressed displeasure over the performance of police for not taking action against the Rangers official who has been terminated from service for extorting money from the mother of one of the four detained persons for scheduling a meeting with the detainees. Headed by SHC Chief Justice Mushir Alam, the division bench was hearing the petition of Phullan Khatoon, resident of Lyari who submitted that her son Ghazi Khan and his three friends, Mohammad Ameen, Sher Afzal Khan and Shahzad Khan, had been picked up by Rangers officials Col. Suleman, Sher Afsar and Riaz Taman on August 1, 2010. She alleged that Sher Afsar had taken Rs100, 000 as bribe from her for arranging a meeting with the detainees. Pursuing the orders of the court, Rangers conducted an inquiry and found that Sher Afsar had extorted money from the petitioner. Subsequently, the extorted amount was later returned by the Rangers official on the directive of the court.
The bench had directed the police and Rangers authorities to take action against Inspector Sher Afsar. The bench observed that it seemed that the Rangers had only taken departmental action against the delinquent officer by removing him from service and no criminal proceeding was initiated against him. On court query, a DSP of the crime branch police, Javed Tanoli, conceded that the Rangers official committed crime by extorting money from the petitioner, but no action was taken against him under the Pakistan Penal Code. He further stated that the officer had been removed from the service and it was a sufficient punishment. The bench expressed displeasure over the manner the case was dealt by the police and observed that it was a matter of more serious concern that a servant of the law enforcing agency committed crime. The court observed, “Departmental proceedings culminating into dismissal from the service do not wipe out the crime which is to be prosecuted and tried independently.”
The court directed Inspector General of Police to look into the matter. The court further observed that it seemed that the local police did not take any action under law against the personnel of the law enforcing agencies involved in extorting money.
The bench directed the office to forward the copy of the order to inspector general of police to see the performance of their own officer who was scared to take action against an employee of Rangers and was terminated in the departmental proceedings.
