MIRPUR (Kashmir English): The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police officer who harassed a British-Mirpuri woman was suspended and a high-level inquiry has been underway.
According to the Kashmir Digital report, a first information report (FIR) has been registered against the Station House Officer (SHO) Thothal, Mirpur Imran Chaudhry and a formal inquiry has been initiated by SSP Khawar Ali Shaukat Mirpur.
A British-Pakistani woman made serious allegations against SHO Imran Chaudhry for harassment, which she secretly recorded on her mobile phone.
According to sources, the woman was staying in Mirpur with her parents to seek justice in a dispute over a house that was illegally occupied by the tenants.
After she failed to recover her house from all legal avenues, the woman sought help from the British Embassy, after which Commissioner Mirpur advised her to contact the SHO of the concerned police station.
The SHO called the woman for a meeting and instead of taking her to the police station, he took her to a private place.
According to the woman, the SHO closed the door of a room and urged the woman to befriend, remove her hijab, and engage in indecent acts.
The FIR stated that the woman, being very alert, recorded the conversation and tried to get out by taking the keys to the police official’s car as soon as she got the chance, but she failed as the gate was closed.
Later, the drunk SHO himself dropped the woman back to her house and tried to harass her on the way and even the car crashed into a wall outside the house.
The woman immediately informed the Mirpur Commissioner about the situation, after which the police started an investigation into the incident.
SSP Mirpur district said that the police took immediate action on this matter and registered an FIR against the concerned SHO and a formal inquiry has been initiated.
SSP Khawar Ali Shaukat said that the police department believes in self-accountability and that no officer or official is above the law. He further said that this matter came to notice three days ago and immediate action was taken on it.
SSP Khawar Ali Shaukat explained that the matter is related to the privacy of the woman, which is why the details of the action were not released to the media. However, the police are fulfilling the complete legal requirements in this case so that the requirements of justice can be fulfilled.
