Outgoing Additional IGP accuses Hyderabad police of patronising criminals

A recent correspondence between Hyderabad additional inspector general of police (Add IGP) Ghulam Qadir Thebo and Hyderabad SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio has raised many eyebrows.

A day before his retirement, Thebo accused Hyderabad Police of colluding with the outlaws and the SSP of remaining unwilling to take action against both, the policemen and criminals.

In a parting letter written to Chandio, titled ‘displeasure’ and dated July 17, the additional IGP claimed that despite having the knowledge of the alleged complicity, the SSP always turned a blind eye to it.

“Chars [hashish], ice, heroin and moonshine liquor dealers, prostitution and gambling dens are operating within the limits of Hyderabad district, with the criminal negligence and collusion of your [SSP’s] SHOs and they are taking huge amounts on weekly/monthly basis from these criminals,” Thebo alleged in the letter which was received by the SSP’s office on Monday.

He maintained that he, time and again, asked the SSP to take prompt and unyielding action against the criminals and to institute departmental proceedings against the policemen.

“It is regretfully noted that no tangible action was taken by you to eliminate these social evils [and] neither departmental action taken against the black sheep in the department,” Thebo wrote. “It is also observed with great concern that in some cases you had taken action against some officers with [a] heavy heart and all those officers are still working at the same places.”

He warned the SSP that if he did not act against the alleged nexus, he would find adverse remarks in his performance evaluation report by the additional IGP.

Chandio was reminded that a similar letter of displeasure was first written to him by Thebo on April 17, 2020.

On the other hand, the SSP told The Express Tribune that he would formally write a reply to Thebo’s letter.

Also, a police official who is privy to the matter and requested anonymity said that Thebo was intruding in the domain of the SSP.

“The responsibility of the Add IGP is of administrative nature but he wanted his men in the field which was certainly a trespass,” commented the police official. “It is known to all that the policemen who were in good books of Chandio faced certain actions from Thebo.”

Another police official, who also asked not to be named, pointed out that the language of July 17 letter, especially the reference of the earlier April 17 letter, tried to give an impression that the SSP was given repeated warnings to mend his ways.

“The Add IGP did express his displeasure in the April 17 letter but it was limited to a particular instance and not about perceived collusion between policemen and criminals and the SSP’s oversight.”

In that letter the Add IGP conveyed his resentment to the SSP asking him how he ignored submitting to his office the incident report of deaths of three persons due to moonshine liquor consumption. Thebo stated that copies of the report of that incident were sent to Sindh IGP and Hyderabad DIG, but not to his office.

Thebo could not be contacted for his version.

Keeping aside contentions of the two parties, the ordinary citizens of Hyderabad can bear witness that mainpuri, gutka, moonshine liquor and narcotic items are being illegally sold and that prostitution and gambling dens are also operating in the district.

Despite all the mudslinging will there be any punishment for the SSP or for the recently retired Add IGP for levelling “false accusations?” Many people are curiously looking for an answer to this question.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2020.