District West cops punished over patronising drug peddlers

On the report of the relevant task force, the deputy inspector general of police (DIG) of the West Range, Fida Hussain Mastoi, has taken strict action against police officials involved in patronising drug peddlers in their respective jurisdictions, and ordered departmental action against them.

The spokesman for the West Range police said that Sub-Inspector Waqar (formerly SHO Orangi Town) has been demoted from his post to assistant sub-inspector (ASI) on the report of the task force, while ASI Mohammad Mukhtar (Orangi Town police station) was demoted from his post to head constable.

Inspector Mohammad Rashid Lodhi (former SHO Khwaja Ajmer Nagri) has been demoted from his post to sub-inspector. The service of SHO Taimuria has been reduced by a year for negligence. ASI Jahangir Nazir (former HC Khwaja Ajmer Nagri) was dismissed from service on the report of the task force.

HC Behzad Sheikh (Surjani Town police station) has been dismissed from service for patronising and supporting gutka and mawa sellers in the area. Constable Irfan Mateen (Surjani Town police station) has been dismissed from service for supporting gutka and mawa sellers.

Officials said that in this regard a report was submitted to the DIG Office for taking action. The report reads: “Sub-Inspector Waqar Ahmed, former SHO Orangi police station, District West (now headquarters West Range, Karachi) was placed under suspension as per the orders of the DIG West, and was also issued and served with a show-cause notice.”

It was also mentioned that action was sought on the following grounds: “The SDPO Liaquatabad submitted a misconduct report against you that he being a member of the Provincial Task Force, Karachi Range, against gutka and mawa raided a godown situated in Baloch Para, Orangi Town, Karachi, owned by Inayat Rind, and recovered ingredients used for manufacturing gutka and mawa in huge quantities — betel nuts: 10 bags (one bag consisting 10kg), pan masala (12 packets) and 17 other gutka-mawa and other narcotic substances.

“Accused Inayat Ali was also arrested with the recovery of a kilogramme of hashish. In this connection, a case FIR has been registered at the Orangi Town police station.

“The SDPO Liaquatabad has further reported that it has been learned through reliable sources that a few days ago accused Inayat Ali was brought at the Orangi Town police station, and was released without a thorough interrogation, which shows that all such activities were going on with your connivance for mala fide intentions and illegal gratification.

“Being the then SHO, the above act on your part amounts to gross misconduct on your part, inefficiency and dereliction of duty, causing to defame the image of the police department in the eyes of the general public, for which you have rendered yourself liable to be awarded any of the major punishments as defined in Rule (4) of the Sindh Police (E&D) Rules 1988.

“He has submitted a reply to the SCN which was considered and found unsatisfactory. Therefore, Muhammad Qais Khan, SP Investigation West, Karachi, was nominated as the enquiry officer with the direction to carry out a detailed enquiry and report vide this office order who furnished his findings and recommendations that from the perusal of the relevant record available, facts following observations were drawn.

“The accused Zubair, Imran alias Shan, Inayat alias Amir, Murad Ishaq, Murad s/o unknown and Raheem Khan are involved in the sale and purchase of betel nuts, lime, kattha, tobacco and other hazardous products in large quantities. There were previous complaints against the accused regarding the sale of the above-mentioned hazardous materials.

“An IR regarding the sale of unauthorised and smuggled betel nuts and tobacco products was also duly received by the local police of the Orangi Town police station. The accused Inayat alias Amir was brought to the Orangi Town police station and was allowed to return without appropriate action.

“During the raid by the special task force, betel nuts, lime and tobacco products were recovered from the shop of the accused, while a narcotic in the form of hashish was also recovered.

“The delinquent SHO as well as ASI Mukhtar had prior knowledge about the alleged dealing in hazardous as well as smuggled betel nuts and cigarettes through a written complaint or information in the form of an IR.

“The SHO as well as the delinquent ASI failed to take appropriate action by continuing to blame technicalities involved and overlooked the threatening impact of the sale of injurious materials, the mixture of which when prepared, rightly falls into the definition of gutka and mawa. Both the delinquent officials are guilty of negligence owing to their inaction. Therefore, suitable punishment is recommended against both police officers.

“In the light of the enquiry report, he was issued another letter dated June 5, 2023. In turn he has submitted a reply to the final show-cause notice.

“He was called in the orderly room on June 13, 2023, and was heard in person by the undersigned. His written as well as oral explanations were considered at length and found unsatisfactory, as he could not advance cogent reasons to repudiate the allegations against him.

“Hence, agreeing with the report of the enquiry officer, he is hereby awarded the major punishment of ‘reduction in rank from SI to ASI’. He is released from suspension with immediate effect and his period of suspension is treated as such.”