Manhole cover thieves could be charged with attempted murder

Officials meet junk vendors to inform them of consequences of buying stolen covers

MULTAN:

The administrative officers of Multan, Khanewal, Vehari and Lodhran districts have been holding meetings with delegations of junk shop owners and vendors operating in their respective areas to make sale of stolen manhole covers commercially unviable, airing a warning that it carried legal consequences as grave as registration of FIRs under charges of attempted murder against thieves and abettors, said an official on Wednesday.

The initiative was taken on the orders of Punjab chief secretary.

It aims at keeping all the manholes covered and to check their theft. Uncovered manholes result in deaths of people, particularly children, says an official press release.

The commissioner of Multan Division ordered all the deputy commissioners to hold meetings with the junk shop owners and vendors to let them know the consequences of buying stolen manhole covers, their sale and abetment in their theft, sale and purchase.

He said that action was being taken after complaints had been received through electronic/print and social media highlighting the role of junk vendors.

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Dr. Irshad said that people should lodge their complaints regarding this problem by calling 1334.

Meanwhile, the administrative officers of the Multan division held meetings with 17 delegations of junk shop owners and vendors to elicit their cooperation to nip the menace of manhole theft and sale in the bud once and for all.

Last month, an eight-year-old schoolboy had died after he fell into a manhole in the provincial capital.

Sadaqat Ali had been on his way home from school when the tragedy struck.

Five vehicles of Rescue 1122, including an ambulance, had arrived on the spot to search for the child.

When the child was not found during the search operation, the rescue team stopped the operation.

Babar Nadeem, the father of the boy, demanded of Rescue 1122 to continue the search operation until the fate of the boy was ascertained.

To press for the acceptance of his demands, Babar Nadeem, along with dozens of his family members and neighbours, staged a protest demonstration and blocked the main road for traffic.

Police arrived at the scene, negotiated with the deceased’s father and neighbors and reassured them of full cooperation.

Upon the reassurance the protest was stopped.

Read: Missing manhole covers pose serious threat

On the other hand, WASA officials could not reach the spot despite receiving information due to which the emotions of the people of the area flared up. The body of the deceased was ultimately found at WASA’s disposal point late at night.

Senior police officials, including the DSP of Gulberg, Saleem Haider Shah, and the AC of City reached the spot, who handed over the body of the deceased to his heirs after taking necessary action.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2022.