HYDERABAD: An inquiry, order­ed by the inspector general of police (IGP) into what was claimed to be a “raid on a factory and seizure of oil” by the policemen based in the office of the additional IG of Hyderabad region, has held three policemen and a head clerk responsible for acting beyond their jurisdiction to commit the offence.

Sources privy to the inquiry confided to Dawn on Friday that those involved in the June 25-26 midnight trespass into an oil blending and recycling plant located within the SITE area were apparently “patronised” by someone sitting in the additional IGP’s office.

IGP Dr Syed Kaleem Imam had appointed DIG Imran Yaqoob Minhas as the inquiry officer after the matter was reported to him by some local businessmen.

DIG Minhas has recorded statements of SSP Sarfaraz Nawaz Shaikh, DSP Dost Mohammad Mangrio as well as Abdul Jabbar and others.

Initially, DIG Shaikh had assig­ned the probe to Inspector Siraj Lashari but the IGP intervened and transferred it to DIG Minhas. Sources claimed that Inspector Lashari had found the additional IG’s team guilty in his probe.

About a dozen policemen — mainly led by those posted in the Hyderabad AIG’s office, many of them in civvies — had visited the oil mill and surprisingly the team, portraying itself as a ‘raiding team’ was led by a head clerk, Ismail Mallah, posted at the AIG’s office, and three policemen, Har­oon, Mohammad Ali and Ibad.

AIG Sarwar Jamali has conceded that Mallah had acted beyond his jurisdiction and even without intimating him or seeking his permission. He said upon reaching the mill, they called the SITE DSP and SHO of the police station concerned. He said those involved had been suspended.

“They [the head clerk policemen and head clerk] are perhaps misguided or misused by someone,” Jamali told Dawn. The factory owner, he said, was allegedly associated with a banned outfit, Jamaatud Dawa, and his brother was booked for his involvement in some questionable business.

“Even if the personnel had some information, they should have brought it to my notice,” he said. Haroon, he said, was transferred by him to Mithi district on a complaint. “I will find out how he stayed here and didn’t report at Mithi,” he added.

Police sources said Haroon, along with others, continued to be part of raiding parties.

He, Ismail Mallah, Ibad and Mohammad Ali, were part of another raiding team that had seized 280 cartons of cigarettes from a businessman on June 17. A probe into the cigarette seizure is being separately conducted by DIG Naeem Shaikh.

The mill’s owner, Abdul Jabbar, said that he came to know about the so-called police raid from his neighbour, who told him that around 15-16 police mobiles were involved in the action. He said he consulted a friend, who advised him not to visit the factory.

He said he then sent his driver, Jehanzeb, to ascertain the situation. It later transpired that the police team had brought many vehicles to take away oil stocks.

“Jehanzeb put me through [to] a policeman, who claimed that they are from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). I was shocked to know this and I rushed to the mill. Upon reaching there, Mr Jabbar said, he found that the police team had taken away around 60 to 70 cartons of oil.

The police team also damaged the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras but some footage escaped destruction.

“Interes­tingly, the same team brought some of the cartons back to the mill in my presence,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2019