Crimes in uniform: Beware of pickpockets at police pickets

Allegations rife that some corrupt policemen at Golra and Sabzi Mandi are looting poor people directly and indirectly.

ISLAMABAD:

Normally, the sight of a police officer in a high risk area for pickpockets should give a sense of security. Unfortunately, this no longer stands true for the traders, labourers and visitors at Sabzi Mandi (fruit and vegetable market) at the industrial sector.

A number of people talking to The Express Tribune pointed finger at certain police officials deputed at checkpoints around the Sabzi Mandi area who were allegedly involved in picking their pockets during body searches conducted on the pretext of security or contraband check.

According to their accounts, police officials deputed at pickets take a person aside at the check point for a body search, claiming suspicion of drug or weapons possession, and empty the victim’s pockets in the process.

“It is normally done in the dark, mostly at night or late in the evening,” said a labourer of Afghan-origin who works at the market. Having been through the ordeal twice, he insisted that it was a real policeman and not an imposter.

Why didn’t they complain to the picket in-charge of the police station?

“I did once. I came back and lodged a complaint with the in-charge after realising I was robbed,” said the frightened labourer, who did not want to be named. “But the policemen there brazenly asked me to go and report to the police station,” he added.

However, some of the victims futilely tried to get their complaints registered at the Sabzi Mandi Police Station, but most others remained silent. A few spoke about the problem with acquaintances in the police, but they were not ready to come forward and provide their identities.

“Most of them were poor Afghans or labourers from far-flung rural parts of the country. They are afraid of police and are easily intimidated,” said a Sabzi Mandi police official. He asked for his name to be withheld, fearing reprisal from “a group of eight to ten police officials involved in this business”.

He maintained that the victims’ claims were strong, as this group of police pickpockets had the backing of the duty moharar (registrar) at the police station.

“I am certain that he (moharar) is involved and is happily taking his own cut from this group,” said the police official. He claimed that the matter was in the knowledge of the station house officer (SHO), but has not reached the ears of high ups.

Sabzi Mandi SHO Abid Ikram did not answer his phone when contacted for a response.

The police official said that the moharar at Sabzi Mandi police station was not touched when at least nine moharars at various police stations were punished for corruption.

In a similar case, some residents of Golra accused police officials at the Golra Police Station of turning a blind eye to robbers on Shah Allah Ditta Road in the outskirts of the city.

“After 10pm every night, robbers have a field day on this road. They set up a makeshift roadblock near the bridge and rob anyone passing by,” said a victim who refused to be identified, fearing reprisal.

To his knowledge, the robbers usually target ‘weak prey’, either people on bikes or women in cars returning from weddings.

In an incident, “A woman was injured after earrings were snatched off her ears even though she was cooperating, and many bikers were robbed of cash, cell phones and wristwatches.”

The Golra police never deploy patrolling vehicles on the road after 10pm, even though the rest of the area is constantly being patrolled, said the man. He said the station does not entertain complaints from these victims either, and no such cases are registered.

“This way the matter does not come to the notice of police high ups,” said the man, while pinning the blame on Golra’s additional SHO, saying he was involved with the robbers and that this “fact” was in the knowledge of his SHO.

Golra SHO Qasim Niazi of the police did not respond for his comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2012.