British Transport Police has misconduct panel ruling overturned

A police officer was found guilty of abusing his position for a sexual purpose

British Transport Police (BTP) has successfully dismissed an officer after overturning a decision from an independent misconduct panel.

PC Imran Aftab, based in central London, was found guilty of gross misconduct on 19 May 2021.

However, the panel decided he would be given a final written warning rather than being dismissed from his job.

BTP launched legal proceedings through a judicial review in the High Court to overturn this ruling.

The force argued that the approach of the independent panel was unlawful and failed to understand the seriousness of PC Aftab's behaviour.

PC Aftab was found guilty of gross misconduct after he parked his car while off duty and approached a woman who was out jogging, before using his police warrant card to try to talk to her, thereby attempting to abuse his position for a sexual purpose.

He also asked the woman for a hug which the force says was was in itself deeply inappropriate and at the time also breached government guidelines on social distancing.

'Risk to women'

Following the Judicial Review Hearing in December, the judge issued his written judgment on Friday.

He ruled the decision of the panel was irrational and would be overturned.

The judge stated it was the officer's "own choice to approach a lone female and indulge in prejudiced racial stereotyping and sexualised language, amongst other troubling features of his conduct, which have been the undoing of his police career".

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Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi said: "There is no place for anyone like Imran Aftab in policing, so we were resolute in overturning the decision of the independent panel which had allowed him to continue his role as a police officer, despite being a risk to the women he was employed to protect.

"Using a warrant card to influence a lone woman for an officer's sexual gain is a total abuse of police powers and so seriously undermines public confidence that it is destructive to the very fabric of policing by consent."

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