FAISALABAD, Jan 9: The police raid at the residence of a ruling member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) on Jan 5 in Sangla Hill to net a well-connected gang has landed a superintendent of police, two station house officers (SHOs) and a few others in trouble. Police were about to arrest the gang after confirming their presence in the MPA’s house through cell phones’ signals, an investigation conducted by Dawn revealed on Friday.

The gangsters knowing the police strategy switched off their cell phones just minutes before the raid and fled.

Dawn learnt that police officers tasked with arresting the Bajwa gang had been scanning the cell phones of the criminals for the last many days. On Jan 5, the officers learnt through the scanner about the presence of proclaimed offenders Faqir, alias Kaka, and Faisal, alias Billa, in Sangla Hill. Prior to the raid, the officers came to know that it was the house of MPA Tariq Bajwa.

Sources said Regional Police Officer (RPO) Abdul Majeed and City Police Officer (CPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir were apprised of the situation and both the officers allowed their subordinates to hold the criminals’ right away. Police in civvies raided the location on Jan 4. However, their efforts failed when just before the raid, the criminals came to know about the raid and fled landing police in trouble.

A police officer, seeking anonymity, said the law-enforcement agencies had arrested scores of terrorists and hardened criminals, including Al-Qaeda activists Abu Zubeda and Osama Nazeer, with the help of cell phone signals scanning. He said a probe should be initiated against the politicians who had been protecting the Bajwa gang.

He said the record of cell phones used by the gangsters could easily prove that criminals had been hiding at the residence of the MPA on the day of the raid.

A policeman who was a part of the operation said before the raid the gangsters had switched off their cell phones. Police had no other option but to search the residence of the MPA thoroughly and even some other adjoining houses. He said how it was possible for junior officers to raid the house of a ruling party parliamentarian without solid information and prior permission of senior officials.

However, he said now officers had made them scapegoats as the Sangla Hill City police had registered a case against nine police officials for “trespassing” on the house of the MPA.

After registration of the case, the CPO suspended the Chak Jhumra SHO Hafiz Irfan and Sahianwala SHO Mian Raffiq, who were part of the raid, and both police stations are now working without SHOs.

Both police stations are under the eyes of the chief minister and senior police officials due to the presence of the Bajwa gang in the areas. Most of the inspectors do not want to serve here, sources said.

Then CPO Mohammad Aslam Tareen changed the entire staff of the two police stations three months ago for ‘helping’ the Bajwa gang. However, the new staff also failed to deliver, and police could not net any wanted criminal.

During a visit to the district a month ago, the chief minister ordered a probe into the matter and suspended all employees, including supervisory police officer Tahir Maqsood.

The Bajwa gang is headed by Khurram, alias Khurrmi, who carries a Rs500,000 head money. The gang is involved in murder, attempt to murder, kidnap for ransom and extortion.

District police have displayed posters having pictures, head money and details of Bajwa's and few other proclaimed offenders in the area.

Sources said this time police had got it confirmed the presence of criminals at the house of the MPA, because earlier, the criminals had successfully cheated the police officers when they had been moving for somewhere in Gujrat. They said when police were just few kilometers from the criminals, they phoned officers and informed that they had left the location.

MPA Bajwa said the raid was part of conspiracy against him by his rivals. He said he had no criminal case against him.