Court Story: Alleged Fake Police Encounter in Lahore — Seven Police Officials Arrested in Custodial Death Case.

Lahore — Muhammad Rizwan, a resident of Lahore, became a father to a baby boy after 13 years of marriage. The child was only three months old when the events described in this case took place.
On the night of July 18, 2024, Rizwan and his brother Mubeen were travelling from Kasur to Lahore via Ferozepur Road when police personnel from Mustafa Abad (Laliani) Police Station stopped them at a checkpoint.
Following an altercation with the police, both brothers were taken to the police station at around 10:00 p.m.
Three FIRs Within Three Hours
According to the lawyer and the victim's family, the following events took place that night:
At approximately 10:30 p.m., the first FIR was registered against Rizwan on charges of robbery.
Just five minutes later, a second FIR was registered.
About three hours later, the police allegedly arranged for an informant to make a false emergency call to Police Helpline 15, claiming that he was being robbed.
According to the account, a subsequent FIA inquiry established that the caller's location was near the police station and that he had been in continuous contact with the police through another phone number.
A third FIR was subsequently registered late that night.
Gunshot Wound to the Leg and an Alleged Fake Encounter
According to the account, police took Rizwan out of the police station in connection with the third FIR and shot him in the lower leg.
The police claimed that Rizwan had been involved in robbery and that, when officers responded to the emergency call, they found him injured after allegedly being shot by an accomplice named Sabir.
However, the family's lawyer disputed this account, arguing that Rizwan had already been in police custody since approximately 10:00 p.m. and therefore could not have been involved in the incident as described by the police.
According to the family, police personnel moved the seriously injured Rizwan from place to place for several hours while he was suffering from severe blood loss. He eventually died from his injuries.
The family alleges that his death was the result of a staged police encounter while he was in custody.
Family Informed of the Incident
The families of the two brothers had no information about their whereabouts during the night.
The following day, police reportedly called another brother, Irfan, and informed him that one brother had been killed in an encounter while the other remained in custody.
According to Irfan, he was told that the second brother would not be released until the family provided a written undertaking that it would not pursue legal action against the police.
Irfan initially refused to take possession of Rizwan's body and submitted an application to the local magistrate seeking access to CCTV footage from Safe City cameras, the police station, and the hospital.
The footage was subsequently obtained, according to the account.
Application to the FIA
For a considerable period, Rizwan's brother Irfan pursued legal remedies by visiting courts and the offices of police officials.
Eventually, he filed an application with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under the relevant law concerning torture and custodial deaths, alleging that his brother had been killed in a fabricated police encounter while in custody. He requested the registration of a criminal case.
According to the account, the FIA initially failed to take the requested action, prompting Irfan to approach the Sessions Court once again.
The court subsequently ordered the registration of a case.
According to the court order as described by the lawyer, a citizen with no previous criminal record had allegedly been implicated in three separate FIRs within a few hours, portrayed as a criminal suspect, and subsequently killed in what was alleged to be a fake police encounter.
Investigation Transferred to Gujranwala
After raising concerns about alleged bias in the FIA Lahore investigation, Irfan requested a change of investigating agency.
On the court's orders, the investigation was transferred to the FIA Gujranwala.
The FIA focused its investigation on the third FIR, in which the police had reportedly placed the time of the incident at approximately 4:30 a.m.
However, CCTV footage obtained by Irfan from the hospital allegedly showed that police had brought Rizwan to the hospital already dead before 3:30 a.m.
Following its investigation, the FIA reportedly found SHO Hassan Imran and six other police personnel culpable in the case, bringing the total number of police officials implicated in the investigation to seven.
The Bail Proceedings
According to the lawyer, the accused police officials had obtained pre-arrest bail from the Kasur Sessions Court to avoid arrest and continued to benefit from the arrangement for approximately nine months.
After their bail was rejected there, they approached the Lahore High Court and obtained further relief, which allegedly allowed them to avoid arrest for several more months.
Last week, the Lahore High Court eventually dismissed their bail applications.
The accused then allegedly attempted to flee with the assistance of fellow police personnel dressed in civilian clothes. According to the account, the attempt was thwarted after lawyers intervened, leading to an unfortunate physical altercation.
Arrest and Judicial Remand
Following the rejection of their bail applications, the FIA arrested all seven police officials.
The next day, a local court in Gujranwala granted the FIA five days of physical remand for further investigation.
After the remand period expired, the accused were sent to jail, according to the latest information provided in the account.
Irfan's Demand for Justice
Rizwan's brother, Irfan, said:
"My brother cannot come back. But I want these accused to be brought to justice so that no other family has to lose an innocent brother in this way."
His statement reflects the family's demand for accountability and justice in the alleged custodial killing.
A Disturbing Question About Police Accountability
According to the lawyer, SHO Hassan Imran was subsequently posted to the Crime Control Department (CCD), allegedly in recognition of his performance.
After more than two years of persistent legal struggle, Rizwan's brother has finally seen the accused police officials sent to jail.
The case raises serious questions about police accountability, the protection of citizens in custody, the integrity of criminal investigations, and the challenges ordinary people face when seeking justice against powerful institutions.
How many other families may have faced similar ordeals? How difficult is it for an ordinary citizen to challenge alleged abuses of authority and pursue justice through a lengthy legal process?
These are questions that deserve serious consideration by the relevant authorities and society as a whole.
Disclaimer: The allegations and investigative findings described above are attributed to the lawyer and the victim's family. The accused individuals' guilt must ultimately be determined through due legal process.
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By: Muhammad Rizwan, Advocate High Court, Lahore