Under training DSP ‘involved’ in robbery

Robbery victim abstains from filing FIR, says he got back half of looted money

KARACHI:

Following a brazen robbery in Orangi Town by policemen in uniform riding official vehicles, no action has yet been taken against the officers and officials identified through the CCTV footages of the incident.

The affected Muhammad Imran, a sanitary dealer, was pressurised not to file an FIR, after which he agreed to withdraw his application, police sources said.

Taking notice of the robbery incident, IG Sindh Riffat Mukhtar Raja appointed West Zone DIG as the inquiry officer and asked for a report based on an impartial investigation of the incident.

Initial police investigation revealed involvement of the South district police with under-training DSP Umair Tariq Bajari leading the raid at the house.

Although, the rogue cops had taken away the DVRs of the CCTV cameras from the victim's home, the security cameras in the neighbourhood helped investigators identify the police officers, officials, mobile van and double cabin vehicle used in the incident which belong to the under-training DSP's squad. The special party of the under-training DSP has been involved in illegal raids in DHA area in the past as well.

Under-Training DSP Umair Tariq Bajari was contacted several times, but he was not available to give his stand. The victim informed that he has received 50 per cent of the looted money, gold ornaments, mobile phones and laptops, after which the victim backed away from filing an FIR.

According to the sources, the affected citizen has been strongly pressured not to file an FIR and after threats of serious consequences, the affected citizen was forced to withdraw his application.

More than 15 people in plain clothes and police uniforms had barged into the home of Muhammad Imran, a sanitary businessman in Orangi Town No5 at 2am on Saturday and left at 4am. The rogue cops took CCTV camera's DVR from the house along with them. They also took Imran's brothers Amir and Shakir as hostage and later dropped them at Baloch Colony.

IG Sindh Riffat Mukhtar Raja and Additional IG Karachi Khadim Rind took notice of the robbery and the facts regarding the robbery have started to emerge.

A senior officer of South district returned over Rs10 million cash and gold stolen from the house, police sources said, adding that Defence police station SHO was tasked to make the delivery of the returned stolen property.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2023.