LAHORE – The heartbreaking incident in Lahore’s Bhati Gate area near Data Darbar sparked another controversy, months after the deaths of mother and daughter, after falling into an open manhole, were overshadowed by posting of Police officer in Old Anarkali Police station.
The victims tragically lost their lives after reportedly falling into a sewer, but the aftermath has raised disturbing questions about how authorities handled the case. The deceased woman’s husband, Ghulam Murtaza, came forward with explosive allegations, claiming that when he approached the police to file a complaint, he was instead subjected to intense pressure and physical torture.
According to Murtaza, police officials insisted that a body could not move through a manhole, using this claim to cast doubt on his account and pressure him into submission. He further alleged that officers behaved inappropriately, took him into a separate room, and beat him with belts and sticks, turning a grieving husband into a victim of custodial violence.
Following reports of the alleged torture, the DIG Operations Lahore took notice. SHO Bhati Gate Zain Abbas was suspended, and a show-cause notice was issued to the DSP. However, the situation took a controversial turn when, despite being named in the investigation, the same officer was reportedly appointed as SHO Anarkali.
According to the investigation report, senior officers including DIG Imran Kishwar, AIG Imran Mahmood, and DIG Nasir Virk, along with an SP, were named in connection with the alleged assault on the victim’s husband.
Earlier, DIG Faisal Kamran had assured that the investigation report would be made public. Yet, despite the gravity of the case, no report has been released so far, leading to accusations of deliberate silence and institutional cover-up.
The sequence of events, from a fatal civic negligence incident to allegations of police torture, followed by the controversial reposting of an accused officer, ignited public anger.
