Lahore: Police involvement in robberies shocks people

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Arshad Dogar
A UNIQUE precedent of crime has shocked the residents of the provincial metropolis in which police officials, including an SHO, have been found involved in a robbery.

Now citizens cannot live in a secure and peaceful environment as their protectors have become robbers. Personal security system can only work for the elite as middle class cannot afford it.

The police officials not only robbed people but also dared to confess that they had looted person(s) or taken bribe as if they damned care about it. During the last week, an SHO of Ghalib Market police, a head constable of the Tiger Squad and some other unidentified police officials, with the consent of the SHO of Sabzazar police, conducted a raid at the office of a private construction company and, introducing themselves as CIA officials, subjected the company employees to torture and took away valuables worth hundreds of thousands of rupees. However, high command of Lahore police took timely action against the accused officials and sent them behind bars.

On the other hand, officials of the Muhafiz Squad have also been found looting citizens by using different means in Lahore. In a recent incident, an official of the squad of Garhi Shahu police, identified as Shahbaz, intercepted a staffer of the Jang Group in the police precincts and closed his motorcycle.

The staffer introduced himself as a Jang employee over which Shahbaz let the victim go. On Saturday early, the same ‘Muhafiz’ intercepted the same staffer, threatening him to impound his motorcycle.

Moreover, the Muhafiz issued a white chit to the victim, writing an amount of Rs250 on it. He asked the victim that if he wanted to take away his motorcycle, he (staffer) would have to pay him Rs250 and he (Muhafiz) would submit the chit in the court by himself.

The Muhafiz took the money as well as the chit and let the staffer go. Later, another employee of Jang called the Muhafiz to ask him whether he had taken the amount. The Muhafiz bluntly accepted that he had taken the amount, so what? This is the state of affairs, which is going on within the police department in Lahore.

The Garhi Shahu Police Station falls in the jurisdiction of Civil Lines police division which was at last number in street crime ratio during the recent past. But now street crime in the division has surged tremendously as during the last week it was calculated on third number in six divisions of Lahore police with 40 reported incidents of street crime.

Around 10 motorcycles and five cars were also snatched or stolen out of total incidents during the last week. A man was also shot injured in Muhgalpura police limits on offering resistance during a dacoity bid.

Street crime has surged by 50 per cent during the last week as compared to the week before the last. During the last week around 230 citizens were deprived of cash, valuables, gold ornaments, mobile phones, cars and motorcycles in six divisions of Lahore police. A man was shot dead and nine others sustained serious bullet injuries during dacoity attempts.

Model Town division was remained first with 45 reported incidents of street crime during the last week out of which 11 motorcycles and six cars were also taken away. Garden Town police is so ‘active’ that it do not even know about its jurisdiction.

On Saturday two dacoits, riding a motorcycle, came to the house of Anwar Maqbool in Garden Block of Garden Town but escaped after failure in committing robbery. The victim called Rescue 15 over which the local police asked the victim that where Garden Block was situated. The victim told The News that Garden Town police called him for more than six times to locate the Garden Block.

Police also questioned the victim whether the block was situated around the Barkat Market over which the victim sought pardon for calling them and requested that if it could only trace out his robbery incident he would be very obliged.

City division remained second with 43 reported incidents out of which eight motorcycles and two cars were also taken away. Five people were shot injured in Shahdra, Bhaati Gate and Islampura police limits during dacoity attempts.

Sadr division remained fourth with 39 reported incidents out of which eight motorcycles and seven cars were also stolen or snatched. President of Qaumi Tajir Ittehad of the Origa Shopping Mall, Shaukat Shahzad, was killed by robbers in the Hunjerwal police area during a dacoity attempt while one Matloon sustained bullet injuries in the same area.

Iqbal Town division remained fifth with 35 incidents out of which 10 motorcycles and two cars were also taken away.

One Aadil sustained bullet injury at Sherakot on offering resistance. Cantt division remained on last number with 27 reported incidents out of which four motorcycles and seven cars were also lifted or snatched. One Noor Ahmad was shot injured in Factory Area on showing resistance to robbers.

It was observed during the last week that Lahore had become a centre for those who take away motorcycles and cars as out of total incidents, 51 motorcycles and 29 cars were lifted or snatched. ‘Credit’ also goes to Gujrat police who baton charged students of the Zemindar College on the charge of staging a protest demonstration.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=160579