Inquiry ordered into fruit vendor’s complaint against cop

A fruit vendor has filed a complaint against a policeman at the SSP South office, claiming that he was illegally detained and deprived of Rs13,000.

Officials said Muhammad Sarwar sells fruit near Qayyumabad Chowk in the Defence police jurisdiction. According to him, on March 22 a policeman took Rs1,000 from him as well as his scales.

The complainant said that the next day the cop brought an unidentified vendor with him, took Rs200 from the stranger and gave Sarwar’s scales to him. When Sarwar protested, he was taken to a Chowki, where he was beaten up and illegally detained for four hours. He was released after paying Rs12,000.

SSP South Asad Raza has ordered the SP Clifton to conduct an enquiry against the policemen involved and directed him to submit a report within seven days. According to the order, Sarwar’s complaint against the Defence police is self-explanatory, and the SP has been ordered to look into the matter personally, conduct an impartial enquiry and furnish a comprehensive report with recommendations to the SSP office.

Another inquiry

Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho has taken notice of a complaint about a sub-inspector allegedly taking fruit from a vendor on Zamzama Park Road without paying for them. Officials said Odho expressed strong displeasure over Clifton SI Abdul Karim’s alleged behaviour defaming the police, and sought complete details.

After receiving the complaint, Odho issued instructions to the DIG South and suspended the SI pending an inquiry. The police chief said that black sheep in the law enforcement department would not be tolerated at any cost.

SSP Raza told The News that after receiving the orders to conduct an enquiry into the matter, he called the fruit vendors of the area and took their statements regarding the allegations against police officials. The vendors, however, denied the allegations against Karim.

Mohsin Ali of Bahawalpur said he has been selling fruit at Zamzama Park Road for a long time. He said that on Saturday afternoon the SI paid him Rs300 for the fruits he bought. He clarified that many policemen have been buying fruits from him for a long time, and that they pay him for the fruits they buy every single time.

Another fruit seller, Basheer Ahmed of Quetta, said that because of inflation these days no one would give away fruit to any customer without taking money. When his father showed him a picture of the SI, the fruit seller told his father that he has known the police official since the past five years, and that he often buys fruit from him and pays for them every time.