Lahore police reveal 'story' behind alleged humiliating treatment of siblings

• Model Town Police spokesperson says brother-sister duo's allegation against police for humiliating them is baseless
• Spokesperson says the case involves a conspiracy hatched by a hotel owner involved in facilitating 'immoral activities' at the hotel
• Accused Wasim Bhatti has been involved in several other cases, police said

LAHORE: The Model Town Police spokesperson on Friday said that the allegation levelled against police for humiliating a brother-sister duo within the limits of Ghalib Market police station is "baseless."

A day ago, a video clip featuring two siblings doing sit-ups in front of a police vehicle while holding their ears (a gesture of showing repentance) had gone viral on social media, drawing anger and condemnation from the masses for the humiliating treatment. 

The siblings had alleged that police stopped them for no reason, interrogated them, and coerced them to do sit-ups in public.

Police reveal 'story' behind the incident

The Ghalib Market police station house officer (SHO) had earlier denied that any of his subordinates were involved in the incident and had stressed that someone was trying to "conspire against the police and defame it [in response to] an operation against the hotel mafia".

On Friday, the spokesperson for Model Town Police Station Lahore said that there was a 'story' behind the incident. 

"Last month, the district administration had sealed a private hotel for carrying out 'immoral activities' within its premises," the spokesperson said. 

He maintained that the hotel owner, Wasim Bhatti, reopened the hotel and resumed immoral activities despite a warning.

"The accused has a [criminal] record and he is involved in several cases," the spokesperson said, adding that the Ghalib Market Police Station had registered a case against the accused under various provisions, including his involvement in creating hurdles for government officers' work.

"A conspiracy has been hatched to defame the police by making a video in front of an empty police vehicle in a parking lot," the spokesperson said.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations Ashfaq Khan said that an inquiry into the matter has been completed.

"The entire incident has been orchestrated. Police did not check any boy or girl and did not make them do sit-ups," the DIG Operations maintained. 

'Police slapped and beat us'

Speaking to Geo News a day ago, the man's sister said that they were returning home after work from a factory when police stopped them and asked for their ID documents. 

She said that when she and her brother admitted they did not have the documents, they were taken to the police station where they were "slapped and beaten."

"They searched my brother and slapped him. There was an officer named Jamshed, who first told us to go away, but then called us back and made us do sit-ups," she accused.

Read more: Viral video shows Lahore siblings doing-sit ups in front of a police vehicle