LHC orders cops to pay compensation to detainees over torture

What could be described as a big step towards alleviating the sufferings of people kept by police personnel in illegal custody and those falling victim to their torture, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered that from now on the guilty police officers would pay compensation to the victims from their own pocket, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.  

The court gave the verdict in the case of three people namely Muhammad Zafar, Abid Hussain and Ghulam Akbar of Jampur, district Rajanpur who were picked up by police personnel on 7-5-2020, and kept in illegal detention.

And two days after, on 9-05-2020, Muhammad Ashraf, the petitioner’s son, was also whisked away by police and released only on the payment of ‘illegal gratification’.

Constable Akram Hajana, respondent No. 3, was also accused by the petitioner of misbehaving with the women during the raid in which he and other police personnel picked up him and two other members of his family.

Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz, in his 15-page verdict, has also referred to the United Nations Convention according to which torture was not allowed on detainees.

The court also ordered police high-ups to arrange courses for the officers as well as jawans so that the tendency in them to torture jail inmates could be eliminated.