Cops arrested on extortion charges

SHO and head clerk of police station suspended for negligence

KARACHI:

At least four police personnel were arrested for allegedly extorting cricketer Sohaib Maqsood in the Sakrand area of Sindh on the directives of Sindh Inspector General Rifat Mukhtar Raja.

On Monday night, Maqsood took to X [formerly Twitter] and said that he was stopped by the police while travelling from Karachi to Multan by road and was extorted by Sindh police officials.

He further wrote that the provincial police is "so corrupt" and that he is "so lucky" to live in Punjab.

According to a statement from Sindh police, four policemen of Sakrand were found involved in the incident. The police spokesperson said that legal action is being taken against them and that a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged.

The SHO of the police station and the chief clerk have also been suspended for negligence, the press statement further added.

The cricketer also claimed in the post that despite informing the police officials that "we are international cricketers travelling to Multan after a match in Karachi", the police officials still extorted Rs8,000 from them. 

Maqsood added that the police had threatened to take them to the police station if they do not pay.

Read: Sindh police personnel arrested for extorting cricketer

IGP Sindh, taking notice of the incident and directed DIG Shaheed Benazirabad to investigate the matter immediately and submit a report to him.

The sportsman revealed that he was travelling with another cricketer around midnight when he was stopped by a couple of policemen demanding documents of the vehicle.

Maqsood added that the officers initially warned him of a Rs100,000 penalty for the usage of high-beam lights. To this, the cricketer said: "I informed him that checking papers was not within their jurisdiction, and if traffic police were to stop us, they would typically impose a fine of up to Rs2,500."

After this, the cricketer was threatened by them that he would be taken to the police station. "After negotiation, we gave him Rs8,000", he commented and added: "This incident frightened us since it was nighttime and an isolated place."