BAHAWALNAGAR: Scores of people of Chak Laleka and Chak Lala Amar Singh staged a demonstration on Sunday against the Ghumandpur and McLeod Ganj police for allegedly providing VIP protocol and favours in return for bribe to suspects arrested in a case of attempted murder.

Mumtaz Ahmed Joiya of Chak Laleka said he was being constantly attacked by Ameen alias Kali Machi of Naseerpur Matan over a murder following a property dispute between them in 2003. On the night of Sept 19, Ameen along with his three armed accomplices — Ahmed Raza, Imdad and Zahid — had entered his house and opened fire. As a result, his wife was critically wounded and being treated at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur.

He said that a first information report (FIR) was lodged on Sept 20 at Ghumandpur police station, and police conducted a raid in Chak Naseerpur to arrest the suspects. But they were unsuccessful as the Ghumandpur station house officer (SHO) had allegedly informed the patron of the suspects, Abbas Machi, who was also chief of the Machi clan. He said his claim could be verified from the call record data of the SHO and Abbas Machi.

Protesters claim political intervention, hefty bribe led to special treatment

Later, Raza secured an interim bail and the remaining men were presented before police on Sept 23 by Abbas Machi through an influential personality. He alleged that because of the intervention of the political personality and a hefty bribe, the SHO was extending the suspects VIP protocol and they were kept in a private room inside the police station.

Joiya also shared some videos with this correspondent (one of which also went viral) where the arrested men could be seen in the investigating officer’s (IO) room eating, smoking and meeting guests. Furthermore, he claimed that police had not shown their arrests despite them being in custody for 10 days.

He alleged that police wanted to declare the suspects innocent as per the deal with the politician, while Abbas Machi was threatening him to withdraw the case.

Meanwhile, Joiya’s friend, Abbas Jhubail, of Chak Lala Amar Singh said that immediately after the failed raid, Abbas Machi along with seven armed men attacked his house for supporting Joiya, tortured his parents and opened fire on them. He said his parents had been handicapped.

He alleged that despite a dozen cases, including robbery, murder, intention of murder and rape, against Abbas Machi since 1992, the police was trying to declare him innocent. He also claimed to be receiving death threats from Machi for him and his family.

The demonstrators demanded the cases be investigated by the Bahawalnagar district police officer personally or a credible officer be appointed. They also demanded the inspector general of police take notice of the VIP treatment to the suspects in police custody and political involvement.

Ghumandpur SHO Naseer Ahmed claimed that no one was in police custody in Mumtaz Joiya’s case and neither were they giving protocol to anyone. The McLeod Ganj police station IO, Riaz Qadeer, also denied harassing the complainant.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2020