Pakistan jail prison officials flee police custody
By IANSThursday, February 3, 2011
ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani jail’s former superintendent and a deputy superintendent have escaped from police custody, after the Lahore High Court turned down their bail plea in a case related to eleven missing inmates, a media report said.
Adiyala Jail former superintendent Saeedullah Gondal and Deputy Superintendent Khalid Bashir were arrested from the court room after Justice Ijaz Ahmad of the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court cancelled their bail plea in the case of 11 missing inmates, the Daily Times reported Wednesday. But they escaped from the police custody in the courtroom, it added.
According to police, four officials who escorted the two jail officers - an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and three constables - have been suspended and investigations are now under way.
Relatives of 11 men, who went missing from the Adiyala Jail after their acquittal, petitioned the high court to cancel the bail of the former superintendent and deputy superintendent, accusing them of abduction of the eleven inmates. They submitted to the court that the benefit of bail was given to the two jail officials in haste.
An additional district and sessions judge Dec 3 granted bail to the two jail officials, saying the charge of abduction was a bailable offence and the prosecution could not put forth any motive behind the abduction of the 11 men by the jail officials.
