DSP Babar’s arrest, treatment leaves mark on cops in Lahore
* Senior police officers say issue could have been better managed
* Babar’s treatment creates rift in police circles, some oppose suspended DSP, others support him
By Shahnawaz Khan
LAHORE: The arrest and the subsequent alleged third degree investigation methods – that include torture – used on suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Imran Babar Jamil have created unrest among policemen, many of whom have been taken aback by the treatment that Babar has received.
Sources told Daily Times that the registration of four cases against Babar has raised many eyebrows in the police department and that the move has been warmly received by the department’s CSP class.
Managed: Senior police officers said the issue could have been managed in a “better way” and that the entire police force had been humiliated. They said several police officials had faced suspensions under more severe charges, “but they were not humiliated the way Babar was”.
Rift: The issue has been the hot topic in almost every police circle for the past one week. Some sympathise with the suspended DSP, while others oppose him for making statements against his seniors. Several policemen, requesting anonymity, said, “The allegations that the DSP levelled against his seniors are a routine practice in the department, but he (DSP) betrayed and badly damaged the repute of the department as a whole, due to which the high ups decided to make an example out of him.”
However, other police officials said, “This is unjust… the police department is already known for inventing different ways of corruption, extra judicial killings and torture. Now this incident will increase anti-police sentiments among the masses. Media reports had led public opinion in favour of the suspended DSP and the public now believes that Babar is the first one to have been brave enough to blow the whistle on police corruption.” Sources in the Lahore Police Department said there were various examples of police high ups abusing and manhandling their subordinates. At times they have also ordered for the arrests and registration of cases against their juniors. Quoting past examples, the sources said, “Some years ago, several lower cadre cops from Qillah Gujjar Singh Police Lines had forwarded an anonymous application to their high ups against their senior and warned that they would throw a hand grenade in the office of the high up in question if he was not transferred.”
“Similarly, an SP had directed his subordinates to publicly assault and beat a station house officer (SHO) in his own police station for disobeying the SP,” they added.
DSP Imran Babar Jamil was arrested from a hotel located in Shadman on Tuesday, where he had come on the request of one of his former colleagues for “reconciliation”.
Source: Daily Times
Suspended DSP handed over to police on 3-day physical remand
* CCPO says Babar’s arrest ‘not a surprise’
Staff Report
LAHORE: Judicial Magistrate Rai Muhammad Nawaz has handed suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Imran Babar Jamil on a three-day physical remand for tearing up a first information report (FIR), on Wednesday.
The court directed authorities to present the accused on March 26. Imran Babar Jamil, arrested on Tuesday, confessed that he had torn up FIR serial no 8155 – filed against him by the Mochi Gate Police – and promised to present the FIR soon. Babar has been booked under different cases, including violation of service rules, openly accusing his seniors of malpractice, tearing an FIR, wearing a senior officer’s uniform and giving “sensational” statements in front of the media.
No surprise: Capital City Police Officer Pervez Rathore told Daily Times the DSP’s arrest did not come as a “surprise to him”. “It was obvious from his behaviour that he was going to get arrested sooner or later because after all, he is a police officer and he should not have attempted to act as a public hero. He has been tearing FIRs, accusing his superiors, he has tarnished the police’s image at a time when we area overburdened with search operations and tracing terrorists,” he said, adding that Babar had made a mockery of himself in front of the media. When asked whether the arrested DSP was being tortured, he denied any such claim and said that such statements were nothing more than rumours meant to further sensationalise the case.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\25\story_25-3-2010_pg13_5
Ousted DSP files petition against judicial inquiry
* Remarks, phrases used by sessions judge speaks of bias against petitioner: counsel
* Inquiry does not hold evidentiary value, should be re-constituted
Staff Report
LAHORE: Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Imran Babar Jamil, who had been arrested on various charges including tearing of a first information report (FIR), moved a petition before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday challenging the judicial inquiry held against him by the district & sessions judge.
Petitioner’s counsel Barrister Farooq Hassan stated that the judicial inquiry was not carried out according to the correct procedure and was biased.
Biased: He alleged that the sessions judge had used various phrases in his inquiry report which suggested that the report was neither neutral nor objective. Barrister Hassan said the report starts with a pejorative description of the petitioner: “He appears flanked by a host of advocates.”
The petitioner counsel cited this description as the probable source of bias, stating the sessions judge may not have been used to such adulation for a policeman by the legal community. It was also stated in the petition that the inquiry judge did not permit cross-examination of the superintendents of police, who were accused of pressurising the petitioner for the release of alleged robbers.
Invalid: “The inquiry report of the judge does not hold any evidentiary value and so should be declared invalid… The inquiry should be re-convened either by an LHC or some other judge form a lower court,” he requested. He requested that the police high ups be restrained from taking any punitive action against the petitioner and his life and liberty should be protected in accordance with law.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\25\story_25-3-2010_pg13_7
hahahh, thats Pakistan, suche logo ka sath ah saw narwha sluk. we dont want this type of Pakistan, wht abt cj who stand for and refuse to abey his higher authrity, and wht Nawaz Sharif who was not appeared in SC, now both men r heros, hhahah, and this Police man is hand cough and behind bars,
Court extends DSP Imran Babar’s remand
Staff Report
LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Saturday extended physical remand of suspended DSP Imran Babar Jamil and directed the police to produce him in court on March 29.
This case against Imran Babar was lodged with the Islampura police station under section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for criminal breach of trust by a public servant. In one case, Imran is accused of posing as the inspector general (IG) of Punjab police.
The police could not complete investigation during the one-day remand and could only recover the badges of IG-rank, which he used at the time of committing the alleged crime.
After hearing of the case, Imran told reporters that he was not investigated by the SHO concerned and was detained in different police stations under the jurisdiction of City Division superintendent of police. He further said that SP (Investigation) Ghulam Dastgir interrogated him for which he was not authorised.
Imran Babar’s lawyer Zahid Chaudhry told reporters that police allegedly violated the court orders. He said the court had directed police to conduct Imran’s medical check up but the police did not comply with this order. He said SP Zeeshan Asghar interrogated the accused, which was the violation of law as only the police officer concerned could interrogate him.
He said that according to Police Order 2002, DIG could only change the investigation and without the permission of DIG, SP could not interrogate the accused. Talking about badges, he alleged that a CIA official in plain clothes had put the badges and stars of IG at Imran’s shoulders.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=20103\28\story_28-3-2010_pg13_3
Judge sends suspended DSP on 14-day judicial remand
* Orders police to submit case challan within 14 days
Staff Report
LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Monday sent suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Imran Babar on a 14-day judicial remand for posing as the inspector general of Punjab police.
The charges had been lodged against Babar at the Islampura Police Station under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code for criminal breach of trust by a public servant. Police produced the accused before the court on Monday, where his counsel pleaded that despite the repeated remand, no evidence had been recovered against his client. He said the case was based on mala fide intents and that the accused was “the victim of police highhandedness”.
Submit challan: The magistrate ordered that the accused be sent to jail on judicial remand and directed police to submit the case challan within 14 days. After the court proceedings, Babar told journalists that he was “fighting against the corrupt police system”. He said that despite the court order, police had yet to have him medically examined. He said he would not surrender before the “corrupt system of police despite their cruelties”.
Babar’s lawyer said the suspended DSP’s physical remand was an example of “political and departmental victimisation”. He said the suspended DSP was punished as he had exposed corruption in the police department, adding that a subordinate could refused any illegal orders given by his seniors, “but Babar was punished for doing the very same”. “Babar has been detained in several police station and was investigated by Superintendent of Police Ghulam Dastgir,” the lawyer said.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\30\story_30-3-2010_pg13_4
Ayaz Amir writes:
Is there something in the air of Chakwal which induces a certain sense of bravado? The famous DSP of Lahore who became an instant media sensation when he went public with some of his grievances against his superiors, Imran Babar Jameel, is from Chakwal. He is an MA in Eng Lit, which may explain some of his erratic behaviour. More unusual still is his pursuit of a doctorate in some subject. Not many policemen would be caught doing such a thing. DSP Imran’s father (I won’t name him) is a well-known poet and man of letters. With such a father, and a background in English literature, anyone could be forgiven for behaving in an odd manner. And odd the DSP did appear at times, almost like a character out of one of the Falstaff plays. It would be a pity if such talent was allowed to go to waste. The Punjab police have a poor public relations setup, not quite in keeping with the times. Given DSP Imran’s instant rapport with the media, the inspector-general of the Punjab police, who is not without a sense of humour, could consider making use of his services in this field.
The News, 9 April 2010