SHO, three cops being interrogated as trader robbed

Police have registered a case of robbery of Rs11.8 million from a trader. They have included four officers, including the Zaman Town SHO, in the investigation.

Over Rs7 million has been recovered, while the prime suspect and two private individuals have not yet been arrested. Police, however, have not included kidnapping charges in the case, thus sparing the suspects further distress.

On March 13 the Sachal police included charges of robbery and wrongful confinement in FIR No. 463/24 based on the complaint of trader Muhammad Khan. Instead of including charges of kidnapping, police have included charges of wrongful confinement, thus attempting to protect the suspects from further investigation.

Khan said the incident occurred at 4am on March 11, when he was with his partner and other associates. They were in two cars, and he had Rs11.8 million in three blue bags to be delivered to his house in Naval Colony on Hub River Road.

They were travelling from Link Road Super Highway to Lyari Expressway when they were stopped by a police mobile and a private car. Eight or nine armed officers in police uniforms were present, along with a civilian.

The officers searched their cars, and all the individuals were deprived of their mobile phones. Faisal’s car was locked, and its keys were seized. “My companion Shahid was made to sit in the police mobile, and a cloth was placed over his face,” the complainant explained.

“I was made to sit in the back seat of my car, and blindfolded. Three officers sat on my left, right and in the middle seat.” He further explained that an officer sat in the driving seat and drove off with them. “My head was pushed down, and I was prevented from raising it, while an officer kept pointing a pistol at me. They kept driving me around for about one and a half hours,” he said.

“At a certain location they got out of the car, leaving me inside, and locked the car. They forcefully took away my money, Rs11.8 million, from the car at gunpoint,” he added. “Some time after their departure, I removed the cloth, but they were not present. People gathered around the car, banging on the glass loudly. Passers-by opened the door. It was around 5am, and the place was Shahrah-e-Noorjahan in North Nazimabad.”

The mobile phones seized from them were left in the car. “I contacted my friends using my phone, and from there I obtained the CCTV camera footage,” he pointed out. “In the footage police officers can be seen locking me in the car and fleeing in a silver car.”

The relevant SHO was removed from his position because his police station’s van was used in the incident. Later, he and other policemen were included in the investigation. Police detained Inspector Rao Rafiq, former Zaman Town SHO, along with a sub-inspector and two officers who were allegedly involved in the incident. However, Zafar Kala and Karam are still at large.

An investigating officer told the media that the officers are involved in the investigation but have not been formally arrested. Another officer investigating the case said the process of interrogating Rafiq and four other officers is under way.