Police on the prowl for Daska serial rapist(s)

DASKA: Sialkot police have been working to trace out the actual culprits behind the recent spate of kidnapping and rape cases of minors in the district.

The police have taken stringent measures for the early arrest of the unknown culprit(s) in this regard, said Sialkot DPO Waqar Ahmad Chohan on Saturday. He said that special police teams led by SP investigation Ali Javaid Malik had thoroughly scrutinised the records of as many as 5,000 people provided by the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).

Chohan said that the police had identified approximately 85 people as possible suspects and that their photographs were being obtained in order to allow the recovered victims to identify the culprits. The DPO said that a door-to-door survey of all houses in Daska was being conducted in order to scrutinise family members bearing any resemblance to the people identified by the victims.

In this regard, 684 houses in Daska city have already been thoroughly checked. At least 303 single men have been identified and their complete antecedents including a criminal record are being examined or any matches. Chohan said that Malik had been permanently stationed at Daska in order to monitor ongoing efforts till the culprits were arrested.

The DPO supervised meetings in which the progress of investigation teams was reviewed. A checklist of questions and red flags has been prepared and handed over to the specially constituted teams to use during their investigations. “This list will help the police identify any possible suspects involved in the cases and will also allow us to maintain better records of the local population,” Chohan said.On the occasion, Sialkot ASP Ather Ismail told reporters that special pamphlets had been displayed at public places.

These carry a blanket appeal to the general public for remaining vigilant against any brutal acts and to report any suspicious activity to the police as soon as possible. “The only way to catch these people is with the support and assistance of the public,” he said. The Sialkot district police have listed telephone numbers and emergency contact mobile numbers of relevant officers in all the pamphlets. The police have also issued pamphlets indicating the features and appearance of the accused men currently on their radar.

The police also plans to prepare a video bulletin which will be telecast locally to ask for the public’s help. Malik said that the Sialkot executive district officer (EDO) Education Muhammad Ali Sahu had also been asked to issue directions to all the heads of schools to brief students and teachers during the morning assembly to refrain from talking to strangers. Malik said that he planned on dispensing police representatives to all schools in the district to inform children about safety procedures.

“All the victims of these atrocities have been minors. Most of them are under the age of 10, so it is imperative that we warn children against interacting with strangers,” he said. Assuring the early arrest of the culprit(s), Malik said that the police’s efforts would continue with zeal until the actual culprit(s) were behind bars.