A day after a Karachi-based salon owner had claimed that her staff had been beaten up by policemen in civvies sent by a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) official’s wife, Shahra-e-Faisal police on Friday registered a case against the suspected NAB official, his wife and unidentified persons for attacking the parlour. However, no arrest was made.
According to contents of the FIR no 187/16, Hina Khan, wife of NAB’s Deputy Director Mir Ausaf Talpur, arrived at Envy salon in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area on April 4 and left after availing the services.
However, the woman returned to the parlour the next day claiming her gold chain was missing ever since she left the parlour and started abusing and beating Haya Ali, owner of Envy Salon.
Meanwhile, the suspected NAB official along with policemen in civvies arrived at the scene at the behest of Khan and not only beat the security guard of the salon but also vandalised property and threatened clients for dire consequences.
Further, Ali’s mother Shagufta Ejaz, a TV actress who lodged the FIR, claimed that the alleged NAB official tried to settle the matter with her husband in order to avoid registration of a case against them. However, the police later registered the FIR under sections 395, 337A, 427 and 452 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The victim has demanded that legal action should be taken against the alleged suspects in accordance with the law.
On Wednesday, Ali had taken to social media to raise her voice against ‘vile behaviour’ of the accountability body’s official’s wife. “This woman got my guard beaten up, trespassed (no warrant) and scared my girls,” Ali said in a Facebook post.
Recalling the story, Ali said it all happened on Tuesday when a client whom she named as Hina Khan claimed that she had lost her chain at the salon. Ali informed her on the phone that the establishment and the staff were not responsible for any lost items, as per the “giant sign at the reception that clearly states that my salon is not responsible for any loss whatsoever and every client must look after their personal belongings”.
However, when Ali arrived at her salon, she found the woman waiting for her. “I rushed to the salon to find her sitting at the main reception, Still yelling at my staff. I tried talking to her and asked her to calm down several times (still politely) and she refused. She got physical and started scaring my other clients,” Ali recounted, adding the woman also assaulted an elderly client of hers who tried to calm her down.
Ali said she repeatedly apologised to her, but Khan refused to calm down. After the woman physically assaulted two of her employees, Ali called security to forcefully escort her out. This is when things turned ugly and Khan punched Ali in the face.
The woman refused to leave and sat in her car. Soon after four policemen came barging into her salon.” Four men (armed) and without uniform stepped out of a police mobile and beat the crap out of my guard. (also armed) They snatched his gun and almost broke his leg. Next they beat up a 14-year-old boy after finding out that he works here too. They made their way upstairs and my girls quickly locked all doors and called ADT security immediately. (upon arrival we learned that they too were helpless if the police is involved).”
The men also vandalised the salon and entered every room, even the massage section. “These men also went door to door and tried to kick every room open and tore the place apart. When my manager told them they can’t go any further they pushed her away and entered the massage section with clients!!! They burst the door open and opened Every. Single. Curtain. Might I add this is where women lay with their bare backs.”
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Ali said they had tried to lodge a complaint but the SHO refused and were forced into signing a settlement with the accused. “When my mother, Shagufta Ejaz, told the police she’ll take the matter to court, the SHO threatened to imprison me and all my staff,” she said, adding they were then forced into signing a settlement.
