Camp Jail doctor, three police officers suspended for 'negligence' in Mian Javed case

LAHORE: The Camp Jail's top doctor and three police officers were suspended in the Mian Javed case, wherein the former official of Sargodha University's Lahore campus was reportedly handcuffed despite his passing away, according to a notification released late Sunday.

Issued by the Government of Punjab's Home Department, the notification stated that Dr Ahmed Zulfiqar — stationed at the Inspectorate of Prisons — had been suspended for negligence of work responsibilities.

Apart from Dr Zulfiqar, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abdul Qayyum, Head Constable Muhammad Azam, and Constable Imran were also suspended, a spokesperson for the Lahore Police said.

A report consequent to the completion of the related inquiry has been submitted to the higher officials, the spokesperson said.

Earlier, officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Camp Jail Lahore, and hospital authorities were seen evading responsibility for Javed's death.

Javed had suffered a "cardiac arrest" on Friday under the NAB's custody and was shifted to Services Hospital in Lahore where he died, prison officials had said. However, pictures of the deceased's body went viral on social media with handcuffs still on, drawing severe criticism of authorities.

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Former Sargodha University official dies of 'cardiac arrest' under custody

Pictures circulating on social media show the deceased's body with the handcuffs still on

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Javed, who was under investigation in a corruption case, had been arrested earlier in October along with Sargodha University's former vice-chancellor Dr Mohammad Akram Chaudhry and four other officials.

Suspect died under jail custody

According to the anti-corruption watchdog, the suspects were accused of receiving millions in bribes for allowing third parties to establish illegal sub-campuses.

In a statement, the anti-graft body had said the former CEO was in jail and died at Services Hospital in Lahore under jail custody. It further mentioned that the NAB chairman issued clear directives to not handcuff any suspect, and that that was being acted upon.

'Pronounced dead on arrival'

The NAB said the propaganda was a conspiracy to tarnish its reputation despite an earlier explanation on the former official's death.

The in-charge of the Services Hospital police check-post had said Javed, the suspect, was dead when he was brought to the medical facility, a statement in contrast with the prison officials' claim that he was still alive when sent to the hospital.

Officials looked for on-duty police officers for quite some time to open the handcuffs, the in-charge added.

DIG Prisons' report

The deputy inspector-general (DIG) of Prisons for the Lahore region, Malik Mubashir, prepared an initial report of the incident, in which he noted that the prison officials handed over Javed to police without the handcuffs. The on-duty personnel — including Head Constable Muhammad Azam, Constable Imran, and Khalil — manacled the suspect at the hospital, it added.

It further mentioned that the handcuffs on the deceased's body belonged to the police, stating that the prison officials do not have handcuffs. The report also quoted rescue members saying that Javed was brought from jail without the handcuffs.

However, in his own statement, Azam, one of the on-duty personnel, said they had followed the standard operating procedure (SOP) to not remove handcuffs without a magistrate's orders.

Laid to rest in Lahore

Meanwhile, the funeral prayers for Mian Javed were offered on Saturday and he was laid to rest in a local graveyard later in the day.

Javed's brother pointed to the difference in the statements of prison officials and hospital authorities. Prison officials say they shifted Javed to the hospital while he was alive, whereas the hospital administration claims they received him dead, the brother added.

He said they would pursue the matter of his brother's death and take it to a logical end.