Thieves in uniform?: Three officers beaten for ‘snatching money’

SSP (Operations) orders probe into the allegations.

FAISALABAD:

Around a hundred people beat up three members of the Eagle Squad on Wednesday night for allegedly snatching Rs400,000 from a man.

Locals beat up the officials, saying that Ehtishamul Haq, a resident of Mohallah Panj Pir, had been intercepted by them near Cold Store at Partab Nagar and deprived of his money.

Akbar Ali, a neighbour of Haq, said Haq’s brother, an advocate, informed them that police officials had stopped him and snatched his money. “A number of people from the area arrived at the spot and caught three Eagle Squad officials,” he said.

“People beat up the officials but recovered no money,” he said. “Haq told us that he was held up by four officials on two motorcycles. We caught only three officials and one motorcycle.

We suspect the fourth one made away with the money.”

The people took out a protest and blocked Jhang Road where they chanted slogans against police.

Area police arrived and took the three officials, Tahir, Nadeem and Ashfaq, in custody after promising action in accordance with law.

Jhang Bazaar SHO Farrukh Waheed told The Express Tribune that Operations SSP Chaudhry Sadiq Dogar had ordered an inquiry into the incident.

He said that action will be taken after the inquiry report is received. He said that neither had the alleged victim nor the Eagle Squad submitted a complaint.

Ali said that police had told them to come visit them on Friday morning.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2012.