Robbery at police post: Multan region chief suspended from service

RPO made officer on special duty after 10 dacoits broke into the Khanewal post and robbed officials of their weapons.

KHANEWAL: Regional Police Officer (RPO) Arif Ikram has been made officer on special duty (OSD) after Wednesday morning’s incident of 10 dacoits breaking into a police post in Khanewal and robbing the officials of their weapons, cell phones and cash.

All officials at the post, including the in charge Hameed Arshad, have been arrested after being suspended on charges of negligence in performance of duties. A departmental inquiry has been launched against these officials.

Under supervision of deputy inspector general of Punjab police (vigilance) Azeem Leghari, two teams have been formed to investigate the case. These are headed by Khanewal SP (Investigation) Naeemullah Babar and Kabirwala DSP Shahid Riaz Gujjar.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Wednesday night, the officials posted at the Jhandyali Bangla post in Saddar police precinct who were held hostage by the robbers said the bandits broke into the post at around 4am. They took officials to a back room and tied them to the charpoys. The officials said the robbers beat them up on resistence. These included – Constable Waseem, Wireless Operator Shakoor, Driver Farooq, assistant sub inspector Riaz and Clerk Ashiq.The robbers seized two rifles (an MP5 and a semi-automatic), 26 bullets, four mobile phones and Rs7,000.

In charge Hameed Arshad said that he and four constables were on patrol when the incident took place. He said he was contacted by Shakoor at around dawn and informed him about the robbery.

Khanewal district police officer Muhammad Waqar Abassi said initial examination suggested that the robbers had walked to the post, adding that they escaped by jumping over the back wall and needed to walk for around 3 km to reach Burewala Road. He said if such negligence was condoned the citizens would lose confidence in the police. He said that on instructions of IGP Tariq Saleem Doggar security at all police stations in the province had been tightened. He said the IGP had directed all police stations to ensure that there was adequate lighting at the station premises and around it. He said the officials posted at the post needed to be more vigilant. He said that they would be proceeded against in accordance with rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2010.