ATTOCK, July13: The car lifter’s escape from the police custody on Sunday was a result of alleged negligence and greed of the sub inspector, the in-charge of the police team which was bringing him to Attock jail in a taxi from Rawalpindi. A police official and the driver of the taxi were killed and two policemen, including the SI, injured by the gangsters, it has been learnt.

Police sources said during the investigation of the incident by a special police team under the supervision of District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Hilal Khan, it was revealed that SI Jameel Ahmed of Rawalpindi City police was in contact with the relatives of the accused, Amjad Khan, about their movement. He had allegedly asked the relatives to pay the Rs5,000 fare of the taxi as he had specially hired the vehicle for comfortable transportation of the accused.

He had also asked them to ensure their presence outside the Attock district jail in order to pay the fare and other ‘Buksish’ to the policemen, said the sources.

Through the examination of the phone calls, it was also disclosed that the relatives of the accused had been inquiring from the SI about their location by frequently calling him on his cellphone.

As per standing operating procedure, movement of any hardened criminal should be in prison van amid proper security and location is never disclosed to any unauthorised person. But in this case, not only the SOP was ignored but also the secrecy of the movement of the accused was also violated.

The police team, comprising the SI, constables Najamul Hassan and Ishfaq Ahmed, was taking the accused in a taxi to Attock when four armed men attacked them on Attock-Kamra Road and got the accused released after killing Najamul Hassan and taxi driver Mudassir Riaz.

Amjad Khan had been arrested by the Attock Khurd police a month back for his alleged involvement in car lifting, arms and narcotics cases and later the Rawalpindi police obtained his custody for interrogation in a vehicle lifting case.

The DPO Attock admitted the negligence of the SI in the escape of the accused. However, he said the investigation into the incident was underway and police had got important clue to the gangsters.