ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has warned Islamabad Police over poor investigation in cases, particularly in a murder case, stating that the level of inquiry is below the mark and has led to the granting of bail to suspects.
During a hearing on Thursday, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro expressed displeasure over the quality of investigation in four cases, including a murder case, and summoned the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Islamabad to explain the lapses.
“In these cases, the investigation has not been up to the mark,” Justice Soomro told the SSP. “When a case comes to us, we have to decide on the basis of the investigation. We have to grant bail owing to the level of your inquiry and investigation,” he added.
The court also compared the salaries of investigation officers in Islamabad and Sindh, noting that officers in Islamabad earn up to Rs. 1 lakh, while their counterparts in Sindh receive only Rs. 40,000. Despite the lower salary, the quality of investigation in Sindh is often better, the judge remarked.
“We didn’t summon a senior police officer in court during the last one-and-a-half years. It doesn’t look good to us to summon a senior officer in court,” Justice Soomro said. “In the last 14 days, four cases have come to the court, due to which you have been summoned,” the bench told the SSP Islamabad.
The court highlighted that the investigation in these four cases had been mishandled, based on a review of the record. “It has been warned for the future to improve your investigation system. I will write against the Islamabad Police if I find low-level investigation in any future case,” Justice Soomro warned.
The judge also instructed the SSP to convey the message to the Inspector General (IG) Islamabad that the court will issue an order in case of bad investigation in the future.
The warning comes as the IHC seeks to ensure that the police uphold high standards in their investigative work to ensure justice is served fairly and efficiently.
Source: ARY News