KARACHI, June 12: Financial might and political pressure are said to have played a vital role in bailing out a polluting factory from potential criminal prosecution.

The factory’s security staff allegedly held senior government officers of the provincial environment watchdog, including its chief, hostage at gunpoint at the facility on April 19, 2007 for several hours. But the case has apparently been closed as the FIR — now alleged to have been “fake” — has been disposed of, reliable sources told Dawn.

According to the sources, the Director-General of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), Abdul Malik Ghauri, had received complaints regarding dust emissions from the Dadabhoy Cement Factory located on the Super Highway, which was reportedly responsible for a rise in respiratory tract and eye ailments among the residents in its vicinity.

When the Sepa chief reached the factory with his team to carry out tests, he was held hostage at gunpoint by the factory’s security officials led by Major (retd) Zahoor, apparently on the directives of the factory owner, Fazal Dadabhoy, and others.

As the stand-off continued, the Sepa DG made an emergency call to members of his staff, who rushed to the Nooriabad Police Station for help. The police raided the factory and ended Mr Ghauri’s and his team’s ordeal, who registered an FIR of the incident with the Nooriabad police under Sections 353, 342, 393, 511, 34, 506, 504 of the PPC.

Section 353 pertains to “assault or criminal force to deter (a) public servant from (the) discharge of his duty”; section 342 pertains to “punishment for wrongful confinement”; section 393 pertains to the “attempt to commit robbery”; section 511 pertains to “punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with (imprisonment for life) or for shorter terms”; section 34 pertains to “acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention”; section 506 pertains to “punishment for criminal intimidation”; and section 504 pertains to “intentional insult with (the) intent to provoke (a) breach of (the) peace”.

The sources said that a few of the security officers, including the retired major, were arrested by the police and remained behind bars for a couple of days. The factory chief, Fazal Dadabhoy, however, could not be arrested as he reportedly had obtained a pre-arrest bail. One of the other factory owners, Amin Dadabhoy, is a senator.

The sources added that the factory owners apparently pulled some strings and contacted their friends in high places, who reportedly directed the police to quietly dispose of the FIR. Responding to Dawn’s queries, Sepa DG Malik Ghauri said that he had registered the FIR and his job was done. Now he was waiting for the police to carry out the investigations and proceed according to the law, he said, adding that he would fully cooperate with the police and would pursue the case in a court of law.

He was unaware that the police had disposed of his case during the investigations on the grounds that his report was incorrect.

Nooriabad SHO Saleem Malik, responding to Dawn’s queries, said that as soon as he received the information that some senior government officials had been held hostage in the Dadabhoy cement factory, he rushed there with a police contingent and freed them from their captors — the Dadabhoy security officials.

He said that after the FIR to this effect was registered by the Sepa DG, a few people, including the retired Major, were picked up and put in a lock-up where they remained for a few days.

The case was then transferred to the investigations branch.

He confirmed that the cement factory was releasing dust into the air, which was causing severe eye and respiratory tract ailments.

Besides, he said, during the rains the dust mixed with moisture and made an inclined portion of the Super Highway slippery, causing a number of traffic accidents.

Dawn repeatedly tried to approach Fazal Dadabhoy on Tuesday to get his version but according to his secretary, Mr Dadabhoy was busy in a meeting.

Responding to Dawn’s queries, Jamshoro Investigations SP Ghulam Hussain Mastoi said that the police had investigated the case but could not find anything against the Dadabhoys.

Hence the case had been disposed of, he explained, adding that a report in this regard had been sent to the civil judge concerned.

Answering another question, he said that the complaint was not based on facts. He said that the case was probably based on misinformation or was mishandled, adding that someone from Sepa had called and asked about the case and was informed that the case had been disposed of.

Analysts suggest that the government should institute an inquiry to probe if the Sepa DG had indeed filed a fake report, adding that it should also be probed if the Sepa DG had taken such an extreme step to blackmail the owners of the factory.

Sources observe that even though Sepa’s working was less than exemplary, incidents like these would have far-reaching consequences and would demoralise the government officials concerned, preventing them from carrying out their duties fearing reprisals from the well-connected.