PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general of police Nasir Khan Durrani on Wednesday suspended three senior officers of the Peshawar police on the charge of involvement in crimes and ordered a departmental inquiry against them.

Among the suspected officers were SP (rural circle) Rahim Shah Khan, DSP Banaras Khan and DSP Tajamul Khan, said a spokesman for the police.

He, however, didn’t elaborate on the charge.

The spokesman said additional IGP (operations) Mohammad Ali Babakhel headed the inquiry team, while DIG (inquiry and inspection) Azad Khan and SSP (operations) Najeebur Rehman were its members.

According to him, the IGP directed the team to complete inquiry in three weeks and submit its report to him without delay for necessary action.

The police chief said strict action would be taken against whosoever was found involved in any kind of criminal activities.

A source in the police said a kidnapped boy had been recovered from a building in Hayatabad Township few weeks ago but his kidnappers were still at large.

Police chief orders probe into criminal charge against SP, DSPs

“Yes. It’s a rented building, where the boy was kept. The tenant is Asif, who is on the loose. The boy, Mateeullah, was a money changer,” he said.

The source said the police had begun registration of tenants under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Restriction of Rented Buildings Security Ordinance 2014 and as for the case in question, the tenant had got the house allegedly on the recommendation of one of the officers, who didn’t know about his character.

Another source said the complaints against certain police personnel about their involvement in crimes, mainly for kidnapping for ransom, were increasing fast and many of them were under vigilance by the relevant high-ups.

When contacted, Peshawar SSP (operations) Najeebur Rehman said some 100 policemen, including officers, had been awarded punishment alone in Peshawar district during the last one year, while many faced disciplinary action.

“In the entire province, some 300 policemen, including officers, have so far been punished for minor and major offences, while the process of awarding punishment to such cops is underway,” he said, adding that the IGP had asked his subordinates to either be fair or face punishment.

About the alleged involvement of the SP and two DSPs in crimes, he said the departmental inquiry had been ordered against them and that the factual position would be known only after proper investigation into the matter was over.

“At the movement I cannot say about it,” he said.

When asked about public complaints about the police avoiding to conduct raids to recover kidnapped victims despite reports and signals that the people were kept in parts of Hayatabad and Town, the SSP said no body could exactly tell about proper location of such places.

“The locator can give signal within six kilometers radius which also includes Shakas area of Khyber Agency, where the police cannot conduct raids for recovery of kidnapped persons,” he said.

He said the police had focused attention on self-accountability in addition to the control of crimes.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2014