Seven prisoners escape after drugging police

DPO has ordered a case against 8 police officials for negligence.

CHICHAWATNI:

A total of seven proclaimed offenders escaped from police lock up on Monday. According to the authorities, the criminals managed to escape after cutting the iron bars of the lock up in the Saddar Police station late Sunday night.

Sahiwal District Police Officer (DPO) Rana Ayaz Saleem said that the criminals had doped the guard on duty by giving him food mixed with intoxicants. The outlaws escaped by cutting the bars of the window. Police officials blocked all the entry and exit points in the area and are searching for the outlaws. The escaped convicts have been identified as Arshad, Shahbaz, Akram, Imtiaz, Yusuf, Nawaz and Mithu.

The DPO further said that cases had been registered against Station House Officer (SHO) Chaudhery Allah Ditta and six other officials including an ASI, Naib Moharrar, two head constables and two constables. Meanwhile, Sahiwal resident police officer (RPO) Dr Arif Mushtaq told reporters that the incident was a result of “sheer negligence” on the part of concerned police officials.

He disclosed that three out of the seven accused were in illegal custody of police, adding that a case in this regard would also be registered against the concerned policemen. The RPO said that the criminals had brought an axe to break the bars and also offered police personnel their lunch and poisoned mithai.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2011.