A judicial magistrate on Saturday granted bail to a serving police officer’s son, who was arrested in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) following a heated argument with officials for having a police number plate on a private luxury vehicle.
A video of the man, identified as the son of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nasim Ara Panhwar, arguing with policemen had gone viral on social media. He was released from custody late on Friday night on personal surety, police sources said.
A first information report (FIR) was registered against the suspect by the Defence police on Friday on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Shazan Shakeel. It invoked sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing a public servant), 170 (personating a public servant) and 171 (wearing garb or carrying a token used by a public servant with fraudulent intent) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
On Saturday, the suspect appeared before the court of Judicial Magistrate (South) Aasim Aslam, who took up his bail application. Advocate Osama Ali and Faisal argued before the court as the suspect’s counsel.
Advocate Ali contended that the FIR had been filed “even though an understanding had been reached between the police and the suspect”.
The court order stated that the suspect was “produced in police custody” and “did not complain of maltreatment at the hands of police”.
While the investigating officer (IO) sought physical custody of the suspect “for further interrogation and collecting evidence”, the judge noted that the PPC sections invoked in the FIR were bailable offences.
Therefore, the court granted bail to the suspect against surety bonds worth Rs50,000. In case of failure to pay, the suspect shall be remanded into judicial custody until May 15.
The magistrate further ordered the IO to complete the investigation and submit a final report within the stipulated time as per the law.
In his complaint, the police official had said he was on patrolling duty along with other personnel near Qayyumabad in DHA’s Phase 7, when they spotted a “suspicious” black Toyota Revo with police lights and tinted windows. He added that the driver refrained from disclosing his name and said he should be let go as “my mother is an SP and this car belongs to her”.
According to the FIR, the driver was informed that having police lights and tinted glasses on a private vehicle was a crime, following which he ordered “gunmen accompanying him” to push the complainant.
Shakeel said he opened the car’s door and attempted to arrest the driver, upon which the latter grabbed his collar and started hurling abuses at him, before fleeing from the spot.
Meanwhile, police denied that SSP Panhwar, along with her gunmen, stormed the police station where her son was held.
South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told the media that she “visited” the police station to argue that her son was innocent and was being “victimised”.
At the same time, the official said that while attitudes may need to improve, a cop has the authority to stop and check a vehicle bearing fake number plates.
Earlier, the South Zone police in a statement said the vehicle concerned was seized while its driver was formally arrested. Departmental proceedings have been initiated against the police guards present in the seized vehicle, while the attitude of the policemen present at the checkpost was also being probed, it said.
The Clifton superintendent of police (SP) has been appointed as an inquiry officer to this effect, said the statement. “No one is above the law,” South Zone police said, adding that relatives of the police officers were not allowed to use official vehicles. The police urged the citizens to avoid using fancy or official number plates, or hooters and police lights on private vehicles; otherwise, strict legal action would be taken.