BAHAWALPUR: The Cantonment police claimed to have detained a suspect on Tuesday, who allegedly indulged in obscene acts at the statue of hockey legend Samiullah Khan in Model Town A here, and uploaded a video clip of the activity on social media.

According to Umar Saleem, Public Relations Officer of District Police Officer Muhammad Faisal Kamran, one Nauman alias Naumi, a resident of Kahrorepucca, who runs rent-a-car business in Bahawalpur, has been arrested for doing obscene acts at the statue.

He said after the suspect uploaded a video clip of his obscene acts on social media, the DPO took notice and ordered his arrest. Following the orders, the Cantonment police, using geo-fencing technology and CCTV camera footage traced the culprit within 48 hours.

He said the police also recorded statements of some eyewitnesses as an evidence against the suspect, who was taken into custody and was lodged in the lock-up.

The PRO claimed that the suspect had confessed to have indulged in immoral acts at the statue “for fun” and was ashamed of it.

He said the suspect was also being interrogated in connection with the theft of the hockey stick and the ball attached to the statue. Quoting the investigation officer, he said that police believed that Nauman was also involved in the theft and would seek his physical remand from the duty magistrate today (Wednesday) for recovering the stolen items from him.

Earlier, a citizen, Malik Salman Awan, had got registered an FIR under sections 379, 427 and 294 of the PPC with Cantonment police on Monday against unidentified person(s) for stealing the statue’s hockey stick and ball.

Cantonment Board Executive Officer Rana Ramiz Shafqat had also sought registration of a case regarding the theft.

The PRO said as that second FIR of the same incident could not be registered, so police were investigating into the matter on the basis of the previous report.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2021