In an unusual incident, unidentified persons wearing police uniforms attempted to barge in the residence of a trader in the New Town area on Monday but fled after the trader approached the police via helpline Madadgar 15.
Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Syed Kaleem Imam took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report on it from the District East SSP. The trader, Muhammad Idrees, approached the New Town police station to complain that some suspects wearing police uniforms arrived at his residence in the Sharfabad area on two cars in the wee hours of Monday and attempted to barge in there.
The police investigators obtained CCTV footage in which around 10 people could be seen coming to the trader’s residential apartment on two cars. Three of the people were in plainclothes while the remaining wore police uniforms.
The complainant told the police that he was a member of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and ran his business of electronic items in the Saddar area. He claimed that the suspects had first asked a watchman about his residence before they came there.
The trader explained that the unidentified persons asked him to open the door but when he refused to do so and asked them who they were, they attempted to break the lock. The complainant maintained that the unidentified persons escaped shortly after he phoned Police Helpline Madadgar 15. He said the incident had caused panic and fear among him and his family and he approached the police to trace and arrest the suspects.
He said he did not have any personal enmity or dispute with anyone; however, he suspected that the suspects could have been members of a criminal gang who had come in police uniforms to deceive him into opening the door.
Talking to the media, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Division SP Shahnawaz said he himself was conducting an inquiry into the incident as it was a serious matter. He added that the police had also obtained the registration numbers of the vehicles in which the suspects had arrived at the trader’s residence. The officer said strict action would be taken against if any policeman was found involved in the incident. However, no case was registered as yet.