LAHORE : Lahore police has settled an account with a citizen Shahzad by nominating him and two teenagers in a false theft case.
The victim Shahzad’s complaint against the cops of Mughalpura police and Dolphin Squad on abuse of power, corruption and impersonation had resulted into an inquiry in the month of February 15, 2020. Shahzad is now in the custody of Mughalpura Investigation Wing on four days physical remand that will end on Monday (today).
As per details, four officials of Dolphin Squad and a Hawaldar of Investigation Wing, Mughalpura police station impersonating ASI carried out a joint operation and caught a 15-year-old boy, kept him in illegal confinement for seven hours and released him after receiving Rs5,000 bribe and keeping Rs2,400 recovered from their prey during physical search as good luck.
The joint and secret operation was conducted only to oblige an internet cable operator Yasar Mirza of Mohallah Usmanabad Kuchi Abadi Scheme No 2, Mughalpura who had acquaintance with Dolphin officials of whom one was identified as Raza Ali and a Hawaldar Salman of Investigation Wing Mughalpura police station. The Muharrar of the Operations Wing and the Hawaldar Salman of the Investigation Wing overturned the police rules just for avarice.
On February 13, at around 8:00pm, Yasar Mirza and his henchmen spotted the boy Zunaikh while collecting monthly dues from his customers door-to-door in Muhammadpura Jattan and caught him. Yasar called the Dolphin officials by not making a call at 15 Police Emergency but through his phone. Four Dolphin officials led by Raza Ali rushed to the spot and caught the boy Zunaikh. The Dolphin officials conducted thorough search of the boy and recovered Rs2,400 from his pocket and transferred it to their pockets. They took him to the Mughalpura police station and handed him over to Muharrar Naveed. The boy was kept in the record room adjacent to the Muharrar office for at least two hours.
Interestingly, the Dolphin officials left the police station without making any written entry in the official record with regard to handing over the boy to the Mughalpura police. Similarly, they did not inform their bosses regarding the arrest through wireless message on the spot.
Meanwhile, Zunaikh’s employer Shahzad reached the police station and met the Muharrar Naveed who told that he did not know as to why the boy had been detained. Later, the Muharrar tried to hand over the boy to SI Sadaqat of Investigation Wing who told him that he was not supposed to poke his nose into the matters of the Operations Wing. Later, the Muharrar handed over Zunaikh to the Hawaldar Salman who impersonated as ASI, took him to the room of SI Sadaqat and started so-called investigation. The impersonator Salman, who had strong intimacy with Yasar, suggested him to file a written complaint as they could not keep the boy without excuse who was picked up at around 8:00pm. Yasar handed over the application to Salman at 11:55pm. As per application, the boy had stolen internet switches, though he had nothing to do with it.
Meanwhile, Hawaldar Salman demanded Rs10,000 to free the boy. He told Shahzad that many cops, including four Dolphin officials were involved in rounding him up and the money demanding by him was not much higher to accommodate all the officials. The boy was released at around 3:00am on Friday after the boy and his employer’s forced signature and thumb impression on a Razi Nama (reconciliation deed). Shahzad managed to soften the heart of the Hawaldar Salman who raised no hue and cry over paying Rs5,000 as bribe.
Salman got the fake complaint from Yasar and reconciliation deed from the boy and his employer to save his and others’ skin and further make the police bosses fool by presenting the papers in case the victim lodged a complaint against them on charges of impersonating ASI, abusing power, keeping in illegal confinement and receiving bribe.
When contacted, Muharrar Naveed, who was on duty on the night of the incident, said that he had referred the matter to the officer whose name had skipped from his mind. When asked, as to why he referred the matter to the Investigation Wing instead of the Operations Wing, he had no answer.
It was claimed that an inquiry regarding the aforementioned incident had been initiated, but Shahzad did not know as to what happened with the criminals in police uniform till to date.
This time the cable operator Yasar Mirza lodged an FIR (No 524/2020) against some unknown persons for stealing his 700 meter long cable wire on March 31, 2020. Later, he shot a video of Shahzad and his two employees Zunaikh and Haider working on lines in their area, synchronising the time he (Yasar) had mentioned in the FIR. Yasar approached the Mughalpura Investigation incharge SI Arshad Mahmood and produced the video with a claim that the three had stolen his 700 meter long fiber wire.
Mughalpura In-charge investigation SI Arshad Mahmood assigned ASI Kashif to look into the case as soon as possible. ASI Kashif did not summon Shahzad, Zunaikh and Haider to record their statement in their defence. On the contrary, he conducted a raid on April 22, 2020, caught Shahzad, Zunaikh and Haider, slapped on their faces and called them names publicly. Yasar and his henchmen, who were accompanying the ASI Kashif, partially damaged the bike of Shahzad and the ASI did not forbid them from doing so.
ASI Kashif took the three to the Mughalpura police station and immediately nominated them as thieves in the FIR that was already registered against unidentified persons on the complaint of Yasar. The good luck of the three victims was that another cable operator Gosha was accidentally captured in the video who was also present there as his employees were also working at the site. Upon being informed, Gosha reached the police station and informed the ASI Kashif that the wire being pulled by Shahzad in the video was his and Shahzad was doing it on his request as his boys were not able to do so. But ASI Kashif paid no heed to his statement.
Following the orders of incharge investigation, ASI Kashif along with cops beat the three up to the satisfaction of the in-charge investigation and put them behind the bars.
When contacted, ASI Kashif claimed that he had nominated the three in the zimni and arrested them on the directions of the SP. He had no reply when asked as to why he did not summon the three to clear their position in their defence.
On April 25, DIG Investigation Lahore Dr Inam Waheed was informed about the whole story who ensured that justice would be done. Unfortunately, the incharge investigation Arshad Mahmood got infuriated when he came to know that the victims had managed to approach the DIG Investigation for justice. Upon which he sprayed a volley of abuses at Shahzad for approaching the officers. He abused him in Punjabi language. Later, on his orders, cop(s) slapped him many times.
SP Investigation Civil Lines Assad-ur-Rehman was also informed about the incident who ensured that he would personally hear victim Shahzad who is in the custody of investigation wing on three-day physical remand that will end on Monday (today). The two other victims were granted bail after one-day remand by the court of law.
Replying to a query, many cable operators have confirmed that an expert along with a team requires five to six hours to hang 700 meter long fiber wire and its removal requires at least 10 hours. They raised a question that as to why Yasar did not call the police on the spot to arrest Shahzad and two others red-handed. They said that the whole incidents implied that Yasar was working hand in glove with the police. Furthermore, Mughalpura Operations police is still committed to oblige Yasar Mirza at any cost, reasons best known to the SP Civil Lines or the SHO concerned. Yasar and his henchmen manhandled Nazeer Hussain, father of one of the three above-mentioned victims, Haider, and threatened him of dire consequences on April 14, 2020. Haider and his brother Haroon called 15 Emergency at 7:23pm, as a result of which Mughalpura police took the accused Yasar and Nazeer’s sons Haider and Haroon to the police station. Ironically, the police detained the two brothers and the accused Yasar Mirza under Section 107/151. In other words, Mughalpura police again saved Yasar from expected FIR pertaining to manhandling, life threats and display of arms by misusing the Section 107/ 151. A complaint from the victim has been filed, but to no avail.
The matter was brought into the notice of the SP Civil Lines Dost Muhammad for justice, but he did not respond.
Mughalpura police has called the complainant Nazeer and the accused Yasar at 5:00pm on Monday (today).