PESHAWAR: An additional station house officer (SHO) of the Excise Police Station has arrested and a case registered against him after the Chief Minister’s House intervened in an incident involving the alleged torture of tourists and a demand for a Rs1.5 million bribe.
The director general of the Excise Department suspended Additional SHO of Excise Police Station Abbottabad, Naseem Khan, over the allegations and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
A case was registered against the additional SHO on charges of demanding a Rs1.5 million bribe, illegally detaining several tourists from the constituency of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, and subjecting them to torture.
Imran Afridi, son of Yousaf Jan of Bara, Khyber district, told police that he, along with his companions Nek Muhammad, Inamullah, Ayaz and Kamran, was travelling to Naran when they were stopped near the Hazara Motorway by around 10 men dressed in official uniforms.
The complainant alleged that the men identified themselves as Excise officials, forcibly removed them from their vehicle and took them to a nearby rest area. He said Additional SHO Naseem Khan was directing the uniformed men over the phone.
Imran said the Excise officials confiscated their mobile phones and cash before shifting them to the Excise Police Station, where they were allegedly subjected to physical torture. He alleged that they were asked to arrange Rs1.5 million for their release. The detainees remained in custody until the intervention of the Chief Minister’s House.
The complainant stated that his brother, Syed Nabi, who was in Naran at the time, contacted them and learned about the situation. Nabi then contacted the Chief Minister’s Office, after which the detained men were released the following morning.
Cantonment Police Abbottabad registered a case under FIR No. 669 under Sections 341, 342, 506, 160, 337-F(i), 427 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code and launched an investigation.Police officials said legal action would be taken in light of the evidence collected during the inquiry.
This is not the first time that Excise officials have been accused of torturing civilians for money. On several occasions in the past, police personnel have also been found detaining people and demanding bribes for their release.
