ISLAMABAD: Three officials of the capital police were found involved in illegal activities, including setting up a network to extort money from citizens, kidnapping for ransom, supporting illicit business like drug peddling and detaining people to mint money from them.

Police officers told Dawn that the three officials were sacked after they were found guilty of the illegal activities in an inquiry. The three officials were stationed in the Rural Zone of the capital.

The inquiry was ordered in response to complaints submitted by residents to senior officers. The complainants alleged that the personnel deployed in Rural Zone were operating criminal gangs and were hands in glove with criminals.

Show-cause notices issued to the officials stated that it had come into the notice of the authorities through surveillance that they were involved in illegal activities and had set their own network for extorting money from the public. They were also accused of supporting illicit business through their touts. Furthermore, they detained individuals and demanded bribes for releasing them.

Action taken by police authorities on complaints of citizens

“It shows their sheer negligence, inefficiency and lack of professional approach towards discharging their official responsibilities, obligations which make them guilty under the relevant rules,” the dismissal order said, adding that a regular departmental inquiry into the matter was conducted through a superintendent of police, which found them guilty of gross professional misconduct and recommended for major punishment against them.

When the allegations proved in the inquiry, the officials submitted their written reply in their defence but the authorities were not satisfied with it. The police officers said that illegal activities of the officials brought the department into disrepute and also depicted their mala fide intentions of abusing official authority.

“An optimum level of deterrence is imperative for discipline,” the order issued by the police said, adding that their retention in the capital police was against the interest of the general public as well as the department.

“Therefore, finding them guilty of gross misconduct and abusing official position in the light of recommendation of inquiry report, the major punishment of dismissal from service was awarded to them with immediate effect under Punjab Police (E&D) Rules 1975 duly adopted by the ICT police.

The officers said it was also under consideration to register cases against the officials and initiate illegal proceedings.

In this regard, approval was sought from the senior hierarchy, however, they were found reluctant as the involvement of the officials in illegal activities also raised questions over their poor supervision and command, they added.

Two policemen booked for harassing woman

Two police officials allegedly sexually harassed a woman in the presence of her husband, Dawn has learnt.

Over the incident, a case has been registered against the officials at the Bhara Kahu police station under section 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the PPC; 25-D (Penalty for causing annoyance), Telegraph Act and 156-D (inflicts torture or violence to any person in his custody) of Police Order 2002.

The case was registered after the woman approached the deputy inspector general (DIG) and lodged a complaint against the two officials.

In response, an inquiry was ordered to establish the facts and fix responsibility, they added.

In her complaint, the woman stated that police personnel riding an official vehicle intercepted her at Shahdara Road when she was traveling along with her husband in a car. Two police personnel disembarked from the official vehicle and approached them and asked the couple to produce their Nikahnama (marriage certificate), it added.

The policemen demanded money from the couple when the latter failed to produce the certificate as they were not carrying it, the FIR said. However, the couple refused to pay the money.

In response, the personnel forced the man to move away from the car. The policemen then took the woman to their official car, and one of them snatched her mobile phone.

“He continuously touched different parts of her body and also got her and her family members’ phone numbers from her mobile phone,” stated the FIR.

The personnel threatened her with dire consequences, and sexually harassed her, the FIR said, adding the suspects also threatened that they would abduct her in case she complained to anyone.

The FIR said one of the suspects had been continuously calling her since then and asking for physical relations, adding the official also threatened to kill her if she did not fulfil his demand.

The woman demanded legal action against the police officials.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2024