Probe faults cops for murder

Recommends suspending officials over killing of student

RAWALPINDI:

An inquiry committee has recommended suspending police officials over the killing of a student and injuring a driver in Chakarda in the Attock district.

A report compiled by the Internal Accountability Branch DIG has recommended the suspension of two DSPs, two SHOs and an ASI and initiating a departmental inquiry against them over the incident. It has also been recommended to conduct an inquiry into the case by police officials of another district to fix responsibility.

According to the Attock police, on July 2 they signalled a car to stop near the Burhan area but the motorists ignored the signal and sped off. The police chased the vehicle and the motorists abandoned the car near Chach Interchange and ran into the forest.

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Owing to the firing of the police personnel, a man, Sajid Khan, died while his driver Asif Khan was injured. The case of the incident was registered by Hazro SHO Inspector Mazhar Shah.

Later, the families of the victims staged a protest and blocked the motorway against the murder. After this, a case was registered against the police personnel under murder sections.

After the incident, Attock DPO Khalid Hamdani was removed and Rawalpindi SSP Operations Shoaib Mehmood was appointed in his place. A committee was formed under Inquiry and Internal Accountability DIG Yousuf Malik to probe the incident.

The inquiry team visited the incident site and recorded statements of the victims’ families besides reviewing the CCTV footage. The panel also recorded statements of 37 policemen of Rawalpindi police and reviewed all three FIRs related to the incident.

The team further inspected the report registered on June 29, which included the arrest of a man later released and injured during a crossfire by the Attock police.

The committee found that the police staff under the command of Hasan Abdal DSP Raja Fayyazul Haq Naeem misused the power. The report said Hassan Abdal DSP, Hazro SHO Inspector Mazhar Shah, Hassan Abdal SHO Sub Inspector Niaz Ahmed, ASI Sajjad Haider and Constable Ali Asghar played a central role in the matter.

It further stated that Hazro DSP Zaigham Abbas also showed alleged negligence besides lack of supervision. The report added that 20 police personnel, including both the DSPs, colluded with private individuals like a gang.

They set up pickets at the entry and exit points of Rawalpindi for targeting drug peddlers and car smugglers. However, the report said that these police officials took heavy bribes from criminal elements on a regular basis and allowed criminals to work freely.

The inquiry officer suggested action against the unscrupulous policemen.

The report said that SHO Mazhar Shah, SHO Niyaz Ahmed and ASI Sajjad Haider have been serving in the Rawalpindi division for an excessively long period. Therefore, these officials were transferred outside the Rawalpindi region for the next five years.

The inquiry officer has also sent a letter to Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer Imran Ahmar, the Punjab Establishment DIG and other top officials to implement all recommendations within three days.

When The Express Tribune contacted Punjab police, a senior officer informed that the police high-ups have started implementing the recommendations.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2021.