Cops’ record to be scrutinised to purge black sheep from dept

Expressing concern over complaints regarding involvement of police personnel in criminal activities, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Mahar has directed the Karachi police chief to check the criminal record of all the police personnel of the Karachi Range.

Officials said that earlier, the Special Branch had also submitted a report to the Sindh police chief regarding the involvement of policemen in criminal activities and cops patronising other criminals, and also submitted their names for action.

After the report was submitted, action was taken against the cops involved in criminal activities by the Karachi police chief. Officials added that there were still complaints against some cops and police high-ups had received reports of involvement of more cops in criminal activities.

Recently, a cop was found to be the robber who killed a recently-married man for offering resistance during a mugging bid within the limits of the Ferozabad police station. After the cop, Farzand Ali, was identified, a police team was reportedly sent to arrest him but he committed suicide by shooting himself before he could be apprehended.

Officials said IGP Mahar had directed all the additional IGs of the Sindh police, including Karachi police chief Imran Yaqoob, to conduct verification and registration of the police officials at the Crime Record Office (CRO).

Following the IGP’s directives, the Karachi police chief ordered his subordinates to conduct the CRO of all the officers and personnel deployed in their respective ranges and districts.

The city police chief ordered the department to ascertain police's support for criminal elements and their involvement in crime themselves so that the department could be purged of the black sheep. All the police personnel from the ranks of constable to inspector have to be scrutinised under the Karachi additional IG’s order.

Officials added that with the help of the CRO, the criminal record of the police employees would be checked and departmental action taken against those who had criminal record. Apart from that, Karachi Additional IG Yaqoob also ordered all the Karachi Range DIGs to digitise and verify the service record of all the police officers and personnel. Under the directives of the Karachi police chief, a meeting was chaired by DIG South Sharjeel Kharal where it was decided that HRIMS records of all the police employees of the South Range would be completed and digitised.

At present, 7,256 officers and employees are posted in different units of the South Range and in this regard, five stations would be set up in the conference room of the Garden Police Headquarters where IT staff would work in two shifts.

The digitisation of record would be carried out unit-wise. All field entries of each official would be checked. After the record has been digitised, it would be cross-checked through the Computerised National Identity Cards through a software calledNADRA.CRO.PSRMS.CEMS.HRMS.

The South DIG said that the task was very important and it was expected that the HRIMS work would be completed in two days, after which the verification process would start. The meeting was attended by the SSPs of all the districts of the South Range, office superintendent of the DIG South Office, besides HRIMS in-charges, sheet branches and technical in-charges.