ISLAMABAD: A man has approached the Inspector General of Police to lodge a complaint against his local police for favouring the thieves who stole his car and asked the police chief to take action against the investigating officer in the case.

According to Arshad Mehmood, his Mitsubishi Shogun Jeep was stolen from the H-11 graveyard on Oct 5 last year and that a case was registered in this regard at the Sabzi Mandi police station. In his complaint, Mr Mehmood said the case was later given to the Anti-Car Lifting Cell to investigate.

The investigation officer handling the case then asked the accused nominated in the complaint to come in for investigation and interrogation, he said, but the suspects did not show up because they are influential. Mr Mehmood’s complaint said the investigation was handed over to other officials but no progress has been made.

The accused later approached the Islamabad High Court and submitted a petition which was rejected on April 27 due in response to the investigation officer’s comments on the case.

When he came to know that the police were quashing the case on May 6, the complainant said he met with the investigation officer and demanded he investigate the case. Mr Mehmood said the officer said he was helpless and that the accused were on interim bail.

The investigating officer had also not appeared in court for the hearing of the suspects’ bail application. The complainant said he later met with the court’s naib who told him a discharge report had been made for his case.

Mr Mehmood said the investigation officer also did not collect evidence from the Safe City Project.

In his complaint, Mr Mehmood has said he bought the jeep on Oct 27, 2010 and that it had remained in his possession till Oct 5 last year.

He has requested the police chief to assign an honest officer to investigate the case so his vehicle is recovered and to take strict legal and departmental action against the investigation officers who favoured the accused.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2017