Abetting criminals?: Larkana DIG suspends, demotes SHO involved in kidnapping

The officer allegedly forced AIG to release a suspect involved in a kidnapping case

SUKKUR: The Larkana DIG suspended and demoted Khanpur police station SHO Ayub Dogar for his alleged involvement in a case of kidnapping.

On January 17, contractor Iqbal Sial, who is a resident of Sachal Colony in Larkana, was overseeing construction work of a building in his locality when four people arrived at the site in a car and introduced themselves as police officials, said a Larkana-based journalist. The men took Iqbal with them to question him about his involvement in some crimes, he added.

When Iqbal did not come back home till late at night, his brother Shakeel Sial and uncle Bashir Ahmed Sial registered a complaint at the Sachal police station. The next day, an unidentified man called Shakeel from Iqbal's mobile phone and told him that his brother was safe but they had to pay Rs350,000 for his release. The man told Shakeel to bring the money at Luqman Railway Crossing in Khairpur.



After Shakeel informed Larkana ASP Tauqeer Naeem about the phone call, the ASP sent his men along with him to Khairpur. However, the kidnapper switched off his mobile phone and disappeared after suspecting that something was wrong.

Larkana police blocked Iqbal's phone number in order to force the kidnappers to call Shakeel from their own numbers. Shakeel received a call from the kidnappers from a new number the next day and directed him to bring the money to Khanpur police station. They threatened to harm Iqbal if he failed to pay the amount. After investigation, the police found out that the number belonged to a police constable, Shahzado alias Babloo, of Khanpur police station.

A police team and the ASP accompanied Shakeel when he went to Khanpur to pay the ransom. Shakeel and the ASP, who was dressed in plainclothes, called the police constable Shahzado after reaching the police station. The officer came out of the police station, took the ransom money and asked the two to wait.



The journalist said that another man dressed in army officer's uniform, came out of the station along with Iqbal and the police constable Shahzado. The ASP's guards, who were nearby, managed to get hold of the man in the army uniform but the police constable resorted to aerial firing and fled.

Khanpur police station SHO Ayub Dogar reportedly forced the ASP to release the man in the army uniform but the ASP refused. The ASP left the area after rescuing Iqbal and with the suspected kidnapper in their custody, the journalist added.

However, the ASP received a call from the SHO, who told the ASP that he wanted to hand over Shahzado. The SHO and a heavy contingent of the police arrived at the spot and allegedly tried to overpower the ASP and his guards to release the suspect. The ASP released the man after the SHO contacted the Shikarpur SSP Nasir Aftab, the journalist said.

Later on, the ASP informed Larkana DIG about the matter. The DIG suspended and demoted Khanpur SHO police station Ayub Dogar and ordered an inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, Shikarpur SSP Nasir Aftab also confirmed the incident and claimed that the SHO has rooted out many criminals and his life is under threat. The man in the army uniform was the SHO's personal guard, Aftab said, adding that he requested the ASP to release him. The ASP was not available for comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2016.