HYDERABAD: An additional sessions judge has ordered registration of FIR against three policemen of Latifabad A-Section police station, including the SHO, for abducting a man in a civil dispute and extorting money from him.

The order was passed on an application filed by Nadeem Shaikh, who had filed an application under Section 22-A CrPC through Shakeel Zai, advocate. He cited Ms Zainab and her husband Shujat Ali, ASIs Jawaid Khoso and Salman Khoso of the police station as proposed accused to be nominated in his FIR.

The additional sessions judge-III heard the application on Tuesday and issued the order Wednesday. The judge noted in his order that applicant Nadeem Shaikh was a businessman and had purchased a house from Shujat Ali under an agreement. Subsequently, Shujat and his wife allegedly began blackmailing him through various tactics to extort an excessive amount of money regarding their property deal.

He said the proposed accused, including two ASIs and the SHO of the A-Section police station, at the instigation of Shujat and his wife, threatened the applicant and abducted his sons, Munib and Haris, extorting Rs80,000 from them. They were later released following the intervention of a market union. According to the applicant’s counsel, the accused had extorted Rs600,000 from his client during custody.

According to the applicant, on March 31, ASI Salman Khoso, along with half a dozen policemen, picked him up and brought him to the police station where they took Rs5,000 in cash from him, besides other documents, including his CNIC. They maltreated him and demanded Rs600,000 and threatened with implication in false cases.

The court noted that it was a civil property dispute between the applicant and the proposed accused. The judge observed that it was a settled principle of law that a civil dispute does not grant any party a licence to take the law into their own hands. The applicant levelled serious allegations against the proposed accused, including illegal detention at a police station, maltreatment, extortion of money and criminal intimidation.

The court said the allegations of abuse of authority and illegal detention by police were grave and required a thorough probe. The involvement of police officials in the alleged offence made the matter more serious, as it strikes at the very foundation of the rule of law and public trust in law enforcement agencies.

Therefore, the matter necessitated further investigation to ascertain the veracity of the claims and to determine the criminal culpability, if any, of the proposed accused persons.

The court ordered the SHO to record the statement of the applicant within three days from the date of receipt of the order, and to lodge an FIR against the proposed accused if a cognizable offence was made out from such statement of the applicant.

The court said that if, during the course of investigation, the allegations of the applicant were found to be false or fabricated, the SHO shall initiate proceedings under Section 182 of the PPC against the applicant, in accordance with law.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2026