Ex-SHO sacked for 'blackmailing' complainant

ISLAMABAD:

Former sub-inspector and SHO of Lohi Bher Police Station, Sohail Ashraf Kahot, has been dismissed from service on charges of blackmailing a lady doctor who approached the police seeking justice, forcing her to marry him and receiving bribes on multiple occasions.

According to details, the complainant, a lady doctor from Sialkot, identified as (M), submitted a written application to Islamabad DIG Muhammad Jawad Tariq. She stated that she works in Islamabad and is a Hafiz-e-Quran. When she approached Lohi Bher Police Station and submitted a written complaint seeking justice, the then SHO allegedly began blackmailing her on various pretexts, threatening that a case could be registered against her, which could lead to arrest and problems in her employment.

The complainant further said that she has two infant children, and the former SHO continued blackmailing her for several months. He allegedly harassed her persistently through WhatsApp messages and pressured her to marry him, despite the fact that she was already married and a mother of two. She also alleged that he took cash from her, and when she ran out of money, she handed over her valuable gold jewellery to him to protect her family life and honour.

Despite this, she claimed, the former SHO later forcefully entered her flat disguised as a Foodpanda delivery rider. During the incident, her husband arrived at the scene, and the accused allegedly pushed him and fled. Evidence of the incident is reportedly available.

Distressed by the harassment, the lady doctor said she left Islamabad for Sialkot, kept her mobile phone switched off for about one and a half months, and also faced serious difficulties in her job. She presented screenshots of WhatsApp messages sent by the former SHO to the DIG as evidence.

Taking immediate notice, DIG Tariq ordered a merit-based inquiry, which found the allegations to be substantiated. Consequently, the DIG issued orders for the dismissal of Sohail Ashraf Kahot from service.