Three policemen, who intercepted the car of a provincial minister in Lahore’s Ghalib Market early last month, were booked by police in a criminal case and arrested.
According to a report in the local media, Constables Nadeem Iqbal, Usman Saeed and Usman Iqbal were apprehended after they developed a dispute with the son of provincial minister Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, who they tried to arrest after they caught him with a girl in semi-naked condition in a car near a busy crossing in Lahore’s Gulberg area. Initial investigations revealed that the car was registered in the name of the minister.
As per details, the minister’s son was under the heavy influence of alcohol and started abusing and attacking the policemen when they tried to make him go to the police station. A few minutes later, friends of the minister’s son arrived at the site of the incident and snatched away official rifles, wireless sets, and mobile phones from the policemen who were patrolling the area. They abused, thrashed, and kidnapped the policemen while the girl and the minister’s son managed to escape from the scene, leaving the car alongside the road.
An FIR was registered against the minister’s son and his friends under the Pakistan Penal Code. However, they secured a pre-arrest bail and investigations are still undergoing.
One of the policemen told reporters that they were being punished by senior officers because of political pressure. He said that they were on duty when they were assaulted and abducted by the attackers. But, the police registered a criminal case against them instead of arresting the real culprits.
On the other hand, a police spokesman shared that an investigation was underway after the lodging of the FIR against the minister’s son and it was learnt that these policemen used to make video clips of such ‘couples’ to blackmail them and to extort money from them. However, he said that the policemen will be given a chance to defend themselves and that merit will be ensured.
