BAHAWALNAGAR: A station house officer and seven other policemen have been dismissed from service after they were found guilty of having links with drug peddlers, making inappropriate videos of women, neglect in escape of hardened criminals from the prisoner room and corruption charges.

Rizwan who was convicted in 31 heinous crimes and Amjad convicted in 10 cases escaped from the judicial lockup by breaching its washroom wall on April 1 last.

A case was registered against 11 police officials including prisoner room in-charge Mukhtar Ahmed and the officials were taken into custody while an inquiry was initiated.

In the light of the inquiry report, Mukhtar Ahmed along with constables Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Irfan and Muhammad Yaqoob were dismissed from service for negligence in performing their duty.

Similarly, constables Amir Iqbal and Imran Maqbool were found in possession of heroin at Bhokanpattan (Niaz Shaheed) check post and an FIR under section 9A was lodged against them. The Bahawalnagar DPO suspended the nine officials of the check post on suspicion of drug peddling and ordered the DSP (Headquarters) to hold an inquiry. Both the constables were dismissed from services in the light of the finding of the inquiry report.

In another case, a police official was caught red-handed by the residents of Mohallah Daggi, Fort Abbas on June 3 when he was making an inappropriate video of a woman. The official was suspended and an FIR lodged against him. When he was found guilty in a departmental inquiry, he was dismissed from service.

Moreover, the Haroonabad city SHO was dismissed from service for incompetence, misconduct and negligence in performing duties.

DPO Muhammad Zaffar Buzdar told Dawn that show-cause notices were served on 28 police officers and a departmental inquiry was conducted against them. He said annual bonuses of seven officers and officials were stopped and services of four officers seized.

The DPO said at the same time many police officials were awarded with cash prizes and certificates for good performance. He said punishments were necessary to change the thana culture.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2021