MIRPURKHAS: The Mirpurkhas police have intensified a hunt for the station house officer (SHO) of the Digri police station who managed to escape, allegedly with the help of some of his colleagues, after he was arrested in a rape case registered against him at the same police station a couple of days back.

The officer, Aslam Jamali, was booked and arrested on April 8 on the orders of Mirpurkhas SSP Mohammed Usman Ghani. The SSP personally investigated a 20-year-old woman’s complaint who alleged that Jamali picked her up and took her first to the Digri police station and then to police quarters on the pretext of ‘interrogation’ where he subjected her to rape.

SSP Ghani personally looked into the matter and during the course of the initial investigation the woman identified Jamali as the offender when he was produced before her. She also recognised the crime scene when she was taken to the police quarters. Eventually, Jamali was placed under suspension and booked under the relevant sections of the Pakistan penal code at the Digri police station on complaint of the victim.

Ordering arrest of Jamali in the case, the SSP constituted an inquiry team comprising Satellite Town DSP Jan Mohammed Mugheri and the official in charge of his (SSP’s) complaint cell. In the meantime, the SSP issued orders for all relevant medical examinations of the victim.

Jamali was arrested a few hours later and detained in the Digri police station’s lock-up. However, he somehow managed to escape from the police station during the night drawing the attention of police high-ups to the lapse.

Mirpurkhas DIG Javed Alam Odho on Saturday ordered a higher-level inquiry into the matter and constituted his team, headed by Umerkot SSP Rukhsar Khawar with Pithoro and Jhuddo DSPs being the other members, besides ordering a hunt for the escaped police officer.

Inspector Wazeer Shar, ASI Mohammed Saleem, head-constable Ghulam Farooq and constable Arif Hussain of the Digri police station were placed under suspension on suspicion of their role in helping Jamali to escape from the lock-up. A case under the relevant sections of the PPC was registered against the suspects on behalf of the state and constable Arif Hussain was arrested. The other three suspects went into hiding to escape arrest.

The DIG’s inquiry team arrived in Digri on Saturday and recorded the statements of the personnel posted at the police station and other people linked with the matter. On Sunday, another four policemen Sodho, Somwaro Chang, Abid and Anwer were detained for further interrogation.

Sources privy to the inquiry team said that the medical examination of the victim was performed at the Digri Taluka Hospital after which she was sent to the Hyderabad Darul Aman. The medical examination reports were awaited till late Sunday evening.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2016