Soft on crime: 572 policemen transferred over misuse of power

Ignoring drug dealing, prostitution alleged among other crimes.

GUJRANWALA:

The city police officer on Thursday transferred 572 policemen elsewhere in the district for allegedly facilitating criminals.

CPO Raja Riffat Mukhtar was informed that some constables and head constables were ignoring drug dealing and prostitution among other crimes. The CPO had ordered an inquiry into the allegations that found 572 policemen guilty.

Issuing the transfer orders, the CPO said that the policemen had misused their power and caused problems for citizens.

He said it was regrettable that investigations had revealed that at least one policeman was involved in crime. He also issued warnings to the policemen.



He said 292 policemen, previously posted in Gujranwala, were being transferred to Wazirabad. The rest were transferred to Gujranwala from Wazirabad, Dhonkal, Gakhar Mandi, Sohdra, Alipur Chattha, Ahmadnagar,
Jamkae Cheema, Kalaske, Manchar Chattha, Saroke Cheema, Head Khanki and Botala Jhanda Singh.

He said some of them had been deployed as guards at various buildings instead of police stations. He said the policemen will not be allowed back for at least three months.

DSP, reader suspended

Also on Thursday, the CPO suspended from service a deputy superintendent of police (legal) and his reader on a court order for faulty investigation.

A division bench of the Lahore High Court, consisting of Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Aliya Imam, had summoned Punjab IG Khan Baig, the Gujranwala CPO and DSP (Legal) Mehmood Gillani over a faulty investigation in a case.

The CPO informed the court that the DSP was responsible for the incorrect information placed before the court. The DSP told the court that his signatures on the investigation report were forged. He said his reader had signed it.

The court had then ordered the IG to suspend both the DSP and his reader from service.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2013.