Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Chaudhry Shafeeq Gujjar ordered an inquiry on Wednesday into allegations that a Sattukatla police officer has been running a private torture cell, after news channels aired a video showing a suspect being tortured by policemen.
The video shows the suspect tied up in an unnatural position, being caned on the soles of the feet and being whipped as he is interrogated.
Sub Inspector Naveed Anjum Awan, the officer in charge of investigations at Sattukatla police station, is shown instructing subordinates to beat the suspect. He is the only policeman identifiable in the video.
The CCPO instructed Saddar Investigation Superintendent of Police SP Jehanzeb Khan to investigate.
Khan said that policemen found to have detained the suspect at a private location and tortured him would be punished.
The SP suspended another SI in charge of an investigation wing a month ago for abuse of authority.
Sattukatla policemen said that they did not know the whereabouts of the place shown in the video and the current whereabouts and identity of the suspect are unknown.
A source at the office of the deputy inspector general (DIG) for Operations told The Express Tribune that Awan had been reprimanded and dismissed from service six years ago by the then Lahore DIG and then IG Tariq Saleem Dogar for harassing a woman and dispossessing her of her property. He was deputed at Shadman police station at the time.
Awan was later reinstated after he filed an application of apology.
Inspector General of Punjab Police Khan Baig also took notice of the incident and ordered senior police officials to make sure that officers posted to lead operations and investigation wings have clean service records.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2013.