Inspector Sarfaraz Khawaja allegedly took a bribe of Rs500,000 from the suspect. STOCK IMAGE
The development came on Wednesday, when Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police arrested inspector Sarfaraz Khawaja of the Rizvia police station on the charge of letting an under-trial prisoner, Faisal alias Munna Qureshi, escape against a hefty bribe.
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Faisal had escaped from police custody on July 9 from AO Clinic in North Nazimabad, where he had been admitted for treatment of his fractured leg. He was arrested a month ago by the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police after an encounter. Since he was wanted in a number of cases of possessing illicit weapons and narcotics and targeted killings by the Central and West districts police, the investigation was given to inspector Khawaja, who had taken him to the hospital.
Soon after his escape, a police constable guarding him was taken into custody for interrogation. The constable reportedly revealed that inspector Khawaja had taken a bribe of Rs500,000 from the suspect, after which his friends easily took him away from the hospital. The police, acting on the information, have taken the accused officer in custody.
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This is the second time that the notorious drug peddler has managed to flee trial by breaching police security. Earlier in June 2011, he had escaped from police custody with the help of three of his accomplices. He was being taken to the city courts when armed men on motorcycles intercepted the police van carrying him. They opened fire at the police guards and injured one of them. Meanwhile, Faisal jumped out of the vehicle and fled on the motorcycle. The suspect is said to be linked with notorious gangs operating in the city and is allegedly involved in providing weapons to them.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2015.
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