SHOs axed over child abduction blunder

Several officials suspended after alleged negligence led to the release of suspects

RAWALPINDI:

Alleged serious negligence by the SHOs and police staff of Cantonment Police Station and Civil Lines Police Station resulted in suspects involved in a child abduction being released under the pretext of a jurisdiction dispute without legal action.

Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani took strict notice of the matter.

Following an initial inquiry in which the complaint was found to be valid, SHO Cantonment Inspector Noorul Ain and SHO Civil Lines Inspector Nasir Shah were removed from their posts and placed on close line, while the duty officers and moharrars of both police stations were suspended.

The suspects were later rearrested and a kidnapping case was registered against them.

According to sources, a Dolphin Force team attempted to stop a suspicious car near Qasim Market. The suspects tried to flee, prompting the Dolphin team to chase them, fire warning shots, and burst the vehicle's tyres before stopping it.

Two young men were found inside the car along with a minor girl who was selling masks. The suspects failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the girl, while the child stated that she had boarded the vehicle near Mero Station, Saddar.

The Dolphin Force handed over the girl and the two suspects to Cantonment police. During questioning, the girl stated that she roams near Mero Station selling masks and small items. However, the Cantonment Police duty officer declared the area to fall under Civil Lines Police Station and transferred the matter and the suspects there.

At Civil Lines Police Station, the duty officer recorded the girl's statement in which she said that the suspects told her they were residents of Ghaziabad and would drop her there, which is why she sat in the car. Despite contradictory statements by the child, the Civil Lines duty officer released the suspects without fully verifying the matter and took no legal action.

Meanwhile, the chase, firing incident, and the child's case came to the notice of CPO Khalid Hamdani, who ordered an inquiry by DSP Civil Lines Asghar Goraya. After the incident was found to be correct, the CPO removed both SHOs from their posts, suspended the duty officers and moharrars, and ordered a formal departmental inquiry.

Later, on the orders of the CPO, police retraced and rearrested both suspects and registered a kidnapping case against them. CPO Khalid Hamdani said that negligence and carelessness in police duties would not be tolerated under any circumstances, adding that police officials must perform their responsibilities diligently, especially in cases involving innocent children.