KARACHI: A day after a rickshaw driver set himself on fire in protest over the alleged extortion by traffic police, the Sindh police chief ordered an inquiry into the incident on Sunday.

Rickshaw driver Khalid had sprinkled oil on his body and set himself alight near the city police office within the remit of the Saddar police station, saying he was ‘fed up’ with daily challan and alleged ‘extortion’ by the traffic police.

A police spokesperson said in a statement that at 1955 hours on Saturday, a rickshaw driver “set himself on fire as a protest against a challan of Rs170 issued by head constable Hanif of the Saddar Traffic Section. Fortunately the driver survived and was sent to a hospital.”

Armed robbers kill two private security guards in as many incidents

According to the rickshaw driver, his challan was without any merit and the traffic police had victimised him several times, said the spokesperson.

Inspector General of Police Dr Syed Kaleem Imam took notice of the incident and sought a detailed inquiry report from DIG-Traffic.

The DIG-Traffic tasked SP-Traffic (South) Asif Ahmed Bughio to conduct an inquiry into the matter from all aspects and submit a report to him.

SP Bughio told Dawn that the traffic official Hanif claimed that he issued a challan to the rickshaw driver for a violation of traffic rules. The driver was fined at 4.30 pm on Saturday and he attempted self-immolation at the Saddar traffic section on Sharea Faisal at 8pm, the SP said.

Although the police probe is still inconclusive, Karachi police chief Dr Amir Shaikh suspended the traffic police official.

He visited the rickshaw driver at a hospital and inquired after his health.

In his statement being shared on social media, critically burnt driver said that traffic policeman Hanif was extorting Rs100 from him on a daily basis. He added that on Saturday, he also gave him Rs50 but the traffic official was insisting for Rs100 and on his refusal the officer gave him a traffic challan.

He was currently under treatment at the Burns Centre of Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.

Additional Police Surgeon Qarar Ahmed told Dawn on Sunday that the condition of the driver was critical as he sustained 55 per cent burn wounds.

Robbers shoot two security guards in city

Armed robbers gunned down a private security guard of a convenience store in North Nazimabad when he put up resistance on Sunday evening.

The Shahrah-i-Noor Jehan police said that two robbers stormed the store in Block-N at around 7.15pm.

The guard, Bashir Ahmed, 50, posted there put up resistance upon which the robbers opened fire on him and went to the cash counter of the mart and took away cash and other valuables from it.

The wounded guard was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

The police said that the mart owner did not tell them about exact figure of the looted cash. The police claimed that they had got some clues about identity of the killer robbers.

In another incident, armed robbers shot dead a watchman on University Road within the remit of the Mobina Town late on Saturday night, police said.

They said two armed suspects snatched cash and other valuables from two citizens at a restaurant near NED University.

A security guard, Abdul Wahab, 45, was standing at a short distance and he challenged the robbers who fired at him and fled, said Malir SSP Sheeraz Nazeer.

The security guard sustained a bullet wound in the head and was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2018