Practice to receive the expenses on police raid be ended: Ombudsman Punjab

Lahore: Ombudsman Punjab Javed Mahmood, Punjab has directed Inspector General Punjab that practice to bear the expenses on police raid and investigation process in police stations, from the pocket of either complainant or accused, be discontinued as handsome amount has already been reserved in annual budget of police department under the head of “cost of investigation”.

In an order, Ombudsman Punjab said that expenses incurred on police raid, transport for the same, preparation of witness and necessary documents, dispatching parcels & evidence for examination etc. are being born either by the complainant or by accused in police stations even today.

No one from the high ups of police department takes notice of this practice. Ombudsman Punjab directed IGP to bring to end such kind of additional burden on stakeholders of the cases in police stations and send compliance report about steps taken to get it discontinue within one month. In incidents of looting, theft and cheque dishonor etc. first, the victims have to face financial loss, after that additional financial burden, as they are compelled to pay for transport, raid expense and preparation of relevant documents in police stations to ensure that the investigation process will carry on, said Ombudsman Punjab.

According to details, Muhammad Jamil, a resident of Lahore lodged a complaint to Ombudsman Punjab that in a case of cheque dishonor, the Investigation Officer ASI Muhammad Aslam, conducted faulty investigation and sent the accused, Jasim Mahmood to jail on judicial remand without recovering an amount of Rs. 9 lakh from him. Investigation Officer ASI Muhammad Aslam also took Rs. 25 thousand from him for transport of police raid, meal and other expense. The complainant said that first he lost Rs. 9 lakh and then had to bear an additional burden of Rs, 25000. Ombudsman Punjab directed Advisor Investigation Rana Ahmad Hussain to probe the issue.

On the recommendations of Inquiry Officer Rana Ahmad Hussain, Ombudsman Punjab directed DIG Investigation Lahore for fair inquiry of the complaint under his supervision and ordered to send compliance report to ombudsman office within 25 days. Ombudsman Punjab also directed IGP to bring to end the practice to compel the complainant or accused party to pay the cost, incurred on investigation process, from their own pockets.