Probe ordered as obscene video from Naukot Fort goes viral

Guard arrested, alleged blackmail racket uncovered; concerns grow over damage to tourism and staff negligence

NAUKOT:

Sindh's minister for culture has taken notice of a viral obscene video allegedly filmed inside the historic Naukot Fort, sparking administrative action against the fort staff.

Following the development, a guard identified as Walam Bheel was arrested by Vejhoto police and shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

Meanwhile, a former retired guard, Aachar Bheel, has claimed that the video is around a year old. However, police sources said preliminary investigations suggest that suspects involved in obscene acts inside the fort were secretly filmed and later blackmailed.

It has further emerged that for several years an alleged gang of blackmailers had been operating inside the fort with the connivance of a guard.

According to sources, the gang would provide visitors with secluded spots inside the fort for money, secretly record videos of intimate acts and subsequently blackmail the victims. Several such videos are reportedly in existence.

In August last year, Provincial Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah paid a surprise visit to Naukot Fort, during which several employees found absent from duty were suspended. However, they were reinstated a few months later.

Visitors to the fort have expressed concern that if such shameful videos from historical sites continue to surface and go viral, it would severely damage tourism. They questioned who would be willing to visit such places under these circumstances, blaming the situation on the alleged incompetence and negligence of the staff posted at the fort.

Meanwhile, when journalists attempted to obtain the official version from the SHO, Amin Junejo, he allegedly behaved rudely and threatened the journalists, warning them of consequences if they did not leave the police station. The journalists later reported the matter to the SSP Tharparkar.

Political and social leaders said that both domestic and foreign tourists regularly visit the historic fort, but warned that tourism would suffer badly if the situation was not addressed. They also pointed out that an entry fee of Rs50 is charged at the site, with thousands of rupees collected daily.

Social and political leaders of Naukot and adjoining areas have demanded that the prime minister, the Sindh chief minister, and the culture minister order a transparent investigation and take strict legal action against those responsible.