March 19, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 10, 1429

HYDERABAD, March 18: Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer of Tando Allahyar, Amir Akhund, appealed to the high officials of his department on Tuesday to help him get acquitted of false cases filed against him by police.

He said at a news conference at the press club that he and two constables Bux Solangi and Niaz Chohan had been languishing in jail for three months but no senior official of the department came to their rescue despite the fact that they knew “we are innocent”.

The suspended official said that he and his companions were released from jail on bail on Feb 27. Chambar police arrested him and his constables without seeking permission from the superior officers, which was a mandatory procedure under law. He said that police defamed him on TV channels as well as in print media.

The director of Excise and Taxation Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas, Abdul Hayee Dhamrah, was in the know of facts but he remained silent. Police arrested him despite the fact that the FIR named one inspector Amir Akhund and did not mention his name, he said.

He said that the director was morally bound to tender his resignation as he had failed to protect his subordinates who had been implicated in false cases.

To a question, he said that a raiding party of the intelligence office of Hyderabad division had conducted a raid on the houses of some narcotic dealers, who enjoyed the support of local police.

The police registered a case, accusing the raiding party of robbery and violation of chador and char deewari and nominated one inspector Amir Akhund, he said. Though he or his constables had nothing to do with the raid still police arrested them under a false case, he said.

He said in answer to a question that he did not know if inspector Amir Akhund was an employee of Excise Department.