ISLAMABAD: A citizen has accused the Karachi Company police of depriving him of a vehicle which he had purchased for earning a living.

Mohammad Rizwan told Dawn that he purchased the Suzuki Chamber from an individual on Nov 15, 2016, and paid him Rs314,000.

The previous owner of the vehicle had taken the vehicle under the Punjab chief minister’s Apna Rozgar Scheme. Mr Rizwan said he was paying the bank dues of the vehicle in installments.

“In December last year, some officials from the Karachi Company police station came to my shop at the I&T Centre G-9 and asked me to accompany them to the police station along with the vehicle,” he said.

When asked about the reason, the policemen told him that a complaint had been lodged over the vehicle.

“I drove the vehicle to the police station and requested the officials to produce any order or complaint over the vehicle or against me but nothing was furnished.”

He said he produced all the documents, including the registration and purchase agreement, but the police confiscated the vehicle.

Mr Rizwan said he lodged an application with the court of an assistant commissioner for the superdari (custody) of the vehicle.

On the direction of the court, the police in a report informed the AC that the vehicle had been impounded after a person lodged a complaint over it.

The police also told the AC that the vehicle was found abandoned near a nullah at G-9/2, Mr Rizwan added.

“After two days, I came to know that the police had taken the matter to the court of a special magistrate and handed over the vehicle to a woman on superdari.”

Mr Rizwan said when he again approached the AC, the police submitted another report stating that it was a stolen vehicle and a report in this regard had already been registered with the Noon police.

In response, the AC cancelled the superdari and directed the police to hand over the vehicle to the Noon police. However, the police later again handed over the vehicle to the woman.

He said had there been any report of theft of the vehicle, the Noon police would have taken action against him.

On the application of Mr Rizwan, the district and sessions court directed the registration of a case against the police officials.

When contacted, investigation officer of the case Sub-Inspector Abdul Sattar said the allegations against the police were false.

“The real owner of the vehicle got possession of it in response to a court’s order,” the IO maintained.

About the case registered against the police officials, he said it would be quashed.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2017