FAISALABAD: Samundri city police station house officer who was arrested for not taking action against drug peddlers, escaped from the custody on Wednesday night, allegedly in connivance with one of his subordinates.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shahid Hussain, following the repeated complaints of rampant drug sale in the Christian Colony in Samundri city area, he ordered SHO Mansoor Sadiq to take action against those involved in the illegal activity.

However, he said the SHO took no action against the drug pushers despite repeated orders. So the SHO was arrested after registration of a case and put in the lock-up of Samundri city police station, from where he escaped on pretext of changing clothes.

Following his escape, two FIRs were registered against the SHO -- one under section 155-C of the Police Order 2002 and the other under sections 223 and 224 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of DSP Shahid Hussain.

Moharrar Bahawal Sher is also nominated as a co-accused of his fleeing boss in the second FIR for helping in his escape. Sources, however, told Dawn that the SHO’s arrest was ordered by a senior police officer who had got it confirmed through a subordinate that drugs were being sold with impunity in the area under patronage of local police, especially the SHO.

Muharrar booked for facilitating escape

The co-accused Moharrar told police officers that the SHO had asked him to take him to his quarter, saying that he wanted to change clothes there. But, he later escaped from his quarter, he added.

Khadim Hussain, a resident of Samundri, said police had been informed a number of times about the drugs sale in the area but to no avail. He said narcotics were being openly sold in Christian Town Housing Colony No 1, Shahbaz Park, Qasim Road, Rasool Nagar and other areas.

He said two persons were gunned down and some others sustained bullet injuries in two incidents a couple of years ago over narcotics sale in the area.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2017