Police in Islamabad have booked a policeman for allegedly helping a convicted woman prisoner escape from custody in the parking area of the district courts. Police said the woman prisoner escape came after a magistrate had sentenced her and a group of beggars to 60 days in jail.
How the group reached court
Mujahid Squad Islamabad police picked up several beggars, including the woman, and took them to the Women Police Station for legal action. They were booked under sections 9 and 10 of the Prevention of Beggary Act and held from November 10. On the following day, a three-member police team, made up of a lady assistant sub-inspector (ASI), a lady constable and a constable who was also the police driver, took the group to a magistrate's court for a hearing. After the hearing, the magistrate sentenced them to 60 days in prison.
The escape and the jail check
The police team then brought the group to the court parking area to move them to Adiala Jail. The court order and the prisoners were handed over to the police driver, while the lady ASI left for the hearing of another case. That evening, the driver told the ASI that all six convicts had been taken to jail and handed over to the jail administration.
A verification with the jail on November 12, however, showed that the woman had not been received there. Police said this was the point at which the woman's absence was confirmed.
What the investigation found
Investigators reviewed footage from CCTV cameras installed at the parking area, along with other findings. Police said these pointed to the police driver, who allegedly acted in collusion with the woman's family to help her leave the district courts' parking area.
A policeman has been booked for allegedly assisting the escape. The allegations remain unproven, and the case is at an early stage based on what police have said so far.
