Inquiry clears DSP of shoplifting charges

Farooqi was accused of pilfering from two different stores

HYDERABAD:

A DSP who was accused of being caught shoplifting twice - with videos of both going viral on social media - has been cleared in a departmental inquiry.

According to the inquiry report, statements were given by the managers and staff of Dawood Super Market and National Super Mart, but none of them verified the said incidents.

In his statement, the accused official, Chalgari DSP Faheem Ahmed Farooqi, claimed the videos were fake and edited.

Hyderabad SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio, who recommended the inquiry, had claimed in his official correspondence that his office had verified the incidents with the store staff.

The inquiry was conducted on the directives of AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo.

A video, captured at Dawood Super Mart on Autobahn Road some time ago and shared on social media on June 25, showed Farooqui being searched by security guards and a packet of cashew nuts recovered from his possession. He later paid for the product and left.

In the second clip, shared on June 27, the DSP seemingly lifted aloe vera gel from the National Super Mart in Hala Naka and was caught by guards again. "CCTV footage from the mart depicts this activity and the incident," the SSP wrote.

In May, Farooqi was removed from the post of Phuleli SDPO after a tussle with Pinyari SHO Niaz Panhwar, who was also suspended. Both the policemen had accused each other of corruption.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2020.