Inquiry initiated after men in plain clothes and police uniforms rob retired policeman’s house

Following the reported illegal raid of a police team at the residence of a retired police inspector in Saeedabad, Sindh Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) DIG Asif Aijaz Shaikh and SSP Arif Aslam Rao have formed separate teams for the arrest of the culprits.

Officials said unidentified policemen raided the house of a former police officer within the limits of the Saeedabad police station on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, and seized money and jewellery.

The District Keamari SSP took immediate notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry under the Saeedabad SDPO. A legal action would be taken after a thorough inquiry into the matter, he said, adding that no illegal raid would be allowed in District Keamari.

A video had gone viral on social media in which retired police inspector Basheer Hussain claimed that on the night, some people, including two in police uniform, barged into his house, took his family members hostage at gunpoint and inquired about his son. Hussain narrated that he told the raiding team that he was a retired police inspector who had served the department for 36 years. He also told them that his son was at his workplace.

The retired cop said the suspects searched his house, and stole cash and jewellery. When he asked the raiding team about their unit, one of the persons said they were from the CTD.

The suspects left the house on two mobile vehicles and motorcycles.

Talking to The News, the CTD chief said he had ordered an inquiry into the raid and also spoken to District Keamari SSP Arif Aslam who had also initiated an inquiry in this regard.

He added that as the CTD Garden had five units, he had asked all the five incharges whether they had ordered the raid and all replied in the negative, claiming that none of their parties raided such a house.

DIG Shaikh said he had ordered DSP Fareed to visit the victim’s house and also coordinate with the Saeedabad DSP in the investigations.

He said he had also asked the retired cop to visit the CTD Garden headquarters where he would personally hold an identification parade so that if any of the officials from the department was involved, a strict action could be taken against them.

Officials said cases of illegal raids and robberies involving policemen were being reported time to time, and this time top police officers had alerted all the district SSPs, and police parties coming from any district or unit that no raid would be carried out without prior permission.

The senior police officials have ordered that those cops who carried out raids without the knowledge of the police station or officers be transferred as such raids brought disrepute to the police. Police officials have been warned of strict departmental action in case of non-implementation of the orders.

Earlier, an order was also issued by the District Keamari SSP that reads: “Following incidents and anomalies are observed with grave concern during the conduct of police officials which are not tolerable being a part of discipline force.