Unlawful law enforcers: Two police officers accused of kidnapping arrested

Officers and two accomplices allegedly kidnapped a contractor on Jan 17

SUKKUR: The Larkana police arrested on Monday two policemen on charges of criminal activities in Shikarpur on Tuesday.

The two suspects, Shahzado alias Babloo and Babar, are said to be involved in the kidnapping of a contractor. Their accomplices have yet to be arrested.

On January 17, contractor Iqbal Sial, a resident of Sachal Colony, 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.

The four police officers were identified as Akram Farooqui, Majid Ali, Madah Hussain Samo alias Shahzado alias Babloo and Babar.

Iqbal was first kept in a quarter at Shikarpur police station and after a week was handed over to Khanpur SHO for interrogation. Iqbal was suspected of being involved in a suicide attack on former MNA Dr Ibrahim Jatoi in 2013, said the journalist.

Iqbal was found innocent, but instead of releasing him, the officials demanded Rs350,000 as ransom from his family.

Iqbal's brother, Shakeel Sial, had registered a complaint at the Sachal police station when Iqbal did not come home on January 17.

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 an 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 army fatigues but the police constable resorted to aerial firing and fled.

Khanpur SHO Ayub Dogar reportedly forced the ASP to release Bilal, but the ASP refused. SHO Dogar then called the Shikarpur SSP Nasir Aftab, who requested the ASP to release Babar which the ASP did, the journalist added.

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

During inquiry, SHO Dogar admitted his fault and expressed his willingness to accept any punishment, revealed a source privy to the case. He claimed that his officers used him as a tool and denied receiving his share of ransom money, the source added.

SHO Dogar handed over the four police officers to the Shikarpur police, but after investigation only two of them were arrested.

ASP Naeem confirmed to The Express Tribune that during inquiry, four policemen, including, Farooqui, Ali, Shahzado and Babar have been implicated of being involved in criminal activities.

The inquiry committee has not yet finished its work, but the developments have revealed that these four police constables are involved, he claimed.

As far as the SHO Ayub Dogar is concerned, he has already been suspended and demoted by the DIG, ASP Naeem added.

SSP Aftab did not answer his phone when contacted for his comments on the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd,  2016.