SHC directs IGP to improve investigation in rape, other criminal cases

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the provincial inspector general of police to improve the investigation system in the police for dealing with criminal cases.

Hearing a bail application of an accused in a rape case, a single bench headed by Justice Amjad Ali Sahito expressed dissatisfaction over the ongoing investigation system in the police and observed that in most cases police cannot conduct the identification parade of the accused following the law.

It observed that the investigation officer neither collects proper evidence nor conducts the identification parade of the accused properly in rape cases, resulting in benefit to the accused. The court observed that there should be a proper mechanism for the distribution of the cost of the investigation officer with proper monitoring.

IGP Riffat Mukhtar, who appeared on a court notice, submitted that a monitoring system had been made in the police department and the allocation of investigation funds would be monitored. He assured the court that the investigation system would be improved and all such discrepancies in the investigation would be removed. The court directed the IGP to improve the investigation system in the province and adjourned the hearing.

PTI activists get bail

The SHC granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf activists in the May 9 rioting case. Mohammad Siddique, Zameer Ahmed, Fayyaz Ali Khan and Jehangir Khan approached the court for bail. According to the prosecution, the applicants along with 800 to 900 workers of the PTI had gathered on Sharea Faisal for protest over the arrest of their party leader Imran Khan on May 9 and ransacked public and private property.

The applicants’ counsel submitted that the names and description of the applicants were not mentioned in the FIR and the role attributed to them was generalized in nature while the details of the damage were not mentioned.

The additional prosecutor general opposed the bail application and submitted that the investigation officer had collected CCTV footage and on the basis of such evidence the applicants were arrested.

A division bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto observed that applicants were not presented for an identification parade despite their arrests and detention for more than four months, and as per investigation officer the applicants were not required for further investigation as the interim charge sheet had been filed before the trial court.

It observed that there were no reasonable grounds for believing that the applicants had committed the alleged offence, but there were sufficient grounds for further inquiry into their guilt. The court granted bail to the applicants for a surety Rs1,00,000 each.