Five Cops Handed to FIA on Five-Day Remand in Kasur Encounter Case
A Gujranwala court on Sunday handed five police personnel to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on five-day physical remand over their alleged role in the Kasur encounter case. Senior Civil Judge Ehsan Sabir granted the remand after the investigating officer asked for 14 days in custody.
The accused are former station house officer Hassan Imran, check-post in-charge Tariq Mahmood, Sub-Inspector Muhammad Sadiq and constables Muhammad Ishtiaq and Yaqub. The court also ordered their medical examination.
A murder case has been registered against the five under the Torture and Custodial Death Act, and the investigation was transferred to the FIA in Gujranwala in April, according to The Express Tribune.
What the Kasur encounter case is about
The case centres on a police encounter in Kasur in which the five officials are accused of involvement. After the matter was moved to the FIA Gujranwala in April, the agency pursued custody of the accused for interrogation. On Sunday, the court agreed to hand them over but cut the requested 14-day remand down to five days, a routine judicial check on investigation agencies seeking extended custody.
The court-ordered medical examination of the accused is standard practice in cases registered under custodial-death law, creating an independent record of their physical condition at the time custody changes hands.
The law the case is registered under
The Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act, 2022, criminalises torture and deaths in custody and provides for the prosecution of public officials found responsible. Murder charges under the law carry the heaviest penalties in the statute book, and cases are typically investigated outside the police department concerned, which is why the FIA is handling this one.
Alleged staged encounters have been a recurring controversy in Punjab for years, with courts and human rights bodies repeatedly calling for independent investigations when suspects die in police custody.
What happens next in the Kasur encounter case
The FIA now has five days to interrogate the accused and collect evidence before producing them in court again. The agency will then submit its investigation report, after which the case proceeds toward trial. Further remands are possible if the court is satisfied the investigation needs more time, but each extension requires the agency to show progress.
FAQs
Who are the accused in the Kasur encounter case?
Former SHO Hassan Imran, check-post in-charge Tariq Mahmood, Sub-Inspector Muhammad Sadiq and constables Muhammad Ishtiaq and Yaqub, all formerly posted in connection with the Kasur encounter.
How long is the FIA remand?
Five days. The investigating officer had sought 14 days, but Senior Civil Judge Ehsan Sabir in Gujranwala granted five.
Under what law is the case registered?
A murder case has been registered under the Torture and Custodial Death Act, which deals with custodial torture and deaths.
Which agency is investigating?
The FIA in Gujranwala, which took over the investigation in April.
