Three SHOs suspended over corruption in Karachi

Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Sharafi Goth and Shah Faisal Colony police station officers found guilty during inquiries

KARACHI: Senior police officials suspended on Tuesday the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station house officer (SHO) for patronising illegal activities, construction and encroachment and harassing law abiding citizens. Two more SHOs were also suspended by the officials over their alleged involvement in criminal activities.

The suspended SHOs were Rao Zakir of Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station, Wilayat Shah of Sharafi Goth and AD Chaudhry of Shah Faisal Colony. They were suspended by Zone East police chief DIG Sultan Khawaja after being found guilty during inquires.



"Tariq, a citizen, appeared before the East Zone DIG and made a complaint against inspector Zakir, who picked up labourers from Tariq's under construction plot in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and demanded a bribe to release them," said Khawaja's spokesperson, adding that following the complaint, an inquiry was conducted and SHO Zakir was placed under suspension.

"There were some other complaints against him as well that he was patronising illegal activities, construction and encroachment and he was harassing law abiding citizens who were constructing their houses in his area of responsibility. Further inquiry is under way," said the East DIG's spokesperson.

One of the complainants told The Express Tribune that Zakir was harassing them after they bought land in Gulistan-e-Jauhar from the Karachi Development Authority (KDA). "Over three months have passed since we acquired the land from KDA," said the complainant, who wished not to be named. "However, since then we are unable to do construction work on the land."



He said that the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police, using the names of some senior officials of the District East police was continuously harassing them by detaining the labourers working on the site and impounding the machinery. He added that the senior police officials should conduct an inquiry to find out the involvement of senior police officials who were backing the SHO as the SHO was not acting alone.

Khawaja, however, while talking to The Express Tribune said that Zakir also registered a fabricated FIR against a renowned businessman on the complainant of the land grabber. "The SHO was found involved with a land grabber - Abdul Raheem Rind - who is also wanted in 54 cases of land grabbing," Khawaja explained.

"Interestingly, one of the nominated accused in the fake FIR of a kidnaping was not even in the country for the last three years," Khawaja said.



Replying to a question about the involvement of some other senior police officials, Khawaja said that the inquiry is still under way and those found involved will be dealt with according to the law.

Separately, two other SHOs were suspended after being found guilty of involvement in running the vice dens in their areas. Police officials said that the special police team of District East conducted a raid within their areas and found the vice dens running, despite clear directions for its elimination by the Sindh inspector-general. The two SHOs were helping the gamblers running the vice dens illegally by getting hefty amounts from the gamblers.

The East DIG spokesperson said that a special team conducted a raid at a gambling and narcotics den and recovered a huge quantity of drugs and arrested gamblers in the limits of the Sharafi Goth police station. The den was being run under patronisation of the Sharafi Goth SHO, who was receiving Rs200,000 per day against his support.
The SHO was placed under suspension and a departmental proceeding has been intimated against him. Meanwhile, the Shah Faisal Colony SHO was also suspended.