The Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) here on Tuesday got arrested two policemen from his courtroom and ordered registration of cases and departmental/disciplinary action against them for keeping two citizens in illegal detention. CJ Khawaja Muhammad Sharif passed this order during the course of a habeas corpus petition filed by one Jahangir Ahmad for the release of two persons namely Muhammad Iqbal and Arshad.
The CJ had deputed a bailiff who raided police station Lundiawala, Faisalabad but the police officials removed both detainees' minutes before the bailiff arrived there. The bailiff in his report informed the court that other accused in lockup had disclosed that the police shifted the detainees to some other place to avoid the bailiff.
At this the CJ had summoned DPO Faisalabad for Tuesday, however, SP Jaranwala Azhar Waheed appeared before the court and confirmed the illegal detention of the citizens. He also undertook to initiate strict action against both police officials. SHO Lundiawala police station Muhammad Asim and Inspector Munir Ahmad were also present in the court, who failed to give satisfactory answers to the court queries. CJ chided them and observed," liberty is a fundamental right of every citizen and police could not be allowed to curtail it without cogent reasons." CJ order LHC security to take both cops into custody and hand over to police authorities concerned.
CJ also directed the SP to get a FIR registered against them and submit the same in the court on Wednesday (today). The CJ also ordered to send a copy of this order to inspector general of police Punjab for taking necessary and disciplinary action against the cops and directed to submit compliance report within three weeks through deputy register (judicial).