Lahore High Court Orders For Maintaining Police Daily Diary In All Police Stations Across Punjab

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday ordered for maintaining police daily diary in all police stations across the Punjab

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Oct, 2020 ) :The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday ordered for maintaining police daily diary in all police stations across the Punjab.

The court also ordered a forensic audit of five police stations.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan passed the orders while hearing a bail petition filed by a woman, Asmat Parveen, in a drug case.

At the start of proceedings, DIG Legal Jawad Dogar, SP Investigation Mandi Bahauddin Tariq Mehmood and other police officials appeared in the court.

The defence counsel argued before the court that Mandi Bahauddin police raided the house of the accused on June 21, 2020 and registered FIR against her for possessing 2kg charas. He contended that the FIR was false and fabricated as the police registered a separate case against the husband of the accused with a difference of just ten minutes. He submitted that the accused had not been nominated in any case earlier. He pleaded with the court to grant benefit of bail to his client.

At this, the chief justice questioned the registration of two separate cases against the accused and her husband with a difference of ten minutes. He questioned what action was taken against delinquent police officials.

To which, a provincial law officer stated that show cause notices were issued by authorities concerned to the police officials.

However, the chief justice questioned the outcome of the show cause notices, observing that if the case was fake, then the petitioner should have been discharged and police officials should have been arrested after registration of a case.

At this stage, SP Investigation Tariq Mehmood submitted that action was taken against such officials and fake cases were quashed in past.

But, the chief justice criticised the performance of the police and observed that the whole judicial system suffered due to it.

The chief justice questioned why the police stopped maintaining a daily diary in police stations.

The law officer replied that daily diary was maintained through a computer based program now and necessary amendment was also made in rules for the purpose. He submitted that soft as well as hard copies of the daily diary were maintained.

The chief justice termed the step an effort to protect police mistakes. When a bailiff raids any police station, then the arrest was shown in past dates. The mala fide would come to surface if forensic audit of any five police stations is held, he added.

At this, DIG legal asked the court to check the record of any five police stations.

However, the chief justice observed that if mala fide was found then strict action would be taken.

DIG legal further stated that once daily diary data was uploaded then it could not be amended.

But, the chief justice remarked that the data was not uploaded timely to protect the lapses.

Subsequently, the court held that it would declare SOPs about daily diary illegal and ordered police to start maintaining daily diary in all police stations across Punjab immediately.

The court also granted bail to the accused and asked her for furnishing surety bonds of Rs 100,000 for the purpose.