SHO, police officials kidnap three men for ransom in Karachi

Report by SSP says police mobiles and premises of Saddar police station were used in crime

KARACHI:

The police officials responsible for providing security to the citizens were found involved in a brazen act of kidnapping three men for ransom, while using police mobiles to pick up the victims and locking them up in the premises of the police station.

An internal inquiry has confirmed that Saddar police station SHO Naeem Khan along with other policemen and a political party worker had kidnapped the three men and released them only after getting ransom.



The report was prepared by Senior Superintendent of Police (Intelligence) of the Counter-Terrorism Department Amir Farooqui following a complaint by the citizens about kidnapping by the cops.

The inquiry confirmed the direct involvement of SHO Naeem Khan, head constable, Amir Khan who is posted at Police Headquarters, Garden, head constable Nadeem Ahmed Khan of the Transnational Terrorists Intelligence Group of the CTD and a political activist Mohammad Sohail in kidnapping three people for ransom.

The report stated that on the night between October 14 and 15, these police officers along with police mobiles of Saddar police station picked up Faisal Shahid alias Sagar, Imran Shabbir and Agha Islam from their homes in Landhi locality.



They were brought to the Saddar police station and were locked in a bathroom attached to the room of the SHO Saddar. They were kept there for more than two days and beaten mercilessly. Their relatives were made to hear the hue and cry of the victims so that they may rush to arrange the ransom.

According to the report, the policemen told the relatives of the victims to bring money or else the kidnapped men will be booked in false cases. This all happened with the full support of SHO Saddar Naeem Khan. Not only the SHO’s mobiles or escorts were used, his office was also used in this brazen case of kidnapping for ransom. And according to the statement of head constable Nadeem Khan, half of the money was given to the SHO. Each detainee paid Rs0.3 to Rs0.4 million for release, stated the report.

The inquiry officer also recommended that FIR may be registered in this incident in relevant police station as from the facts the above named four persons have been found to be directly responsible in a case for keeping three persons in illegal detention and taking money for their release. Involvement of other police officers and persons could not be ruled out, it added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2015.