ISLAMABAD: Four policemen were suspended after a case was registered against them for kidnapping and extorting Rs1 million from three citizens.

One of the officials has been arrested and the others have gone into hiding.

Besides, three other policemen were suspended for taking bribe from a motorist.

A police spokesman said both the incidents were directly reported to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Mohammad Ahsan Younas by the victims at an open court.

Three capital police officials also suspended for taking bribe from motorist, says spokesman

Irfanullah, a native of Khyber district of KP, complained to the IGP that he along with his friends Mohammad Fayaz and Mohammad Ali was going to Murree in a car when three persons wearing the capital police’s uniform and riding a private Alto intercepted them at the Sangjani toll plaza.

The Alto had tinted glasses and was without a registration plate. He said the policemen tied their hands and bundled them into their car and blindfolded them.

Later, they took them to a flat and threatened them with dire consequences, including registration of a fake case against them, and demanded Rs1million for their release.

The complainant said he called his family and asked them to arrange and bring the amount to the capital, the spokesman said. Later, the amount was arranged and paid to the policemen.

After three days, the friends were released at Srinagar Highway. The complainant said they were detained in a flat at G-15.

In response, the IGP ordered the SP Saddar to probe the allegations. During the inquiry, the complainant identified the policemen through pictures shown to him.

The inquiry found the involvement of four policemen in the crime.

Two of the officials were posted to the Police Training School at the Police Lines; one was working at the Tarnol police station and the other at the Noon police station.

A case was registered against them at the Tarnol police station under section 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft) of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The four policemen were suspended and departmental proceedings launched against them, the spokesman said. One of the policemen has been arrested and the others have gone into hiding.

When contacted, former deputy superintendent of police (legal) Azhar Shah told Dawn that it was a kidnapping for ransom crime and the FIR should have been registered under section 365-A of the PPC. The FIR has been registered under wrong sections of the PPC, he added.

Another man lodged a complaint with the IGP that he was intercepted by three police officials at Faizabad, who asked him to produce the document of his vehicle.

The man had photocopy of the document but the policemen refused to accept it and told him that the car would be impounded.

Later, the policemen took Rs1,000 from the man and allowed him to go, the spokesman said.

On the direction of the IGP, the SSP operations probed the matter and found the three policemen guilty. As a result, they were suspended and departmental proceedings started against them.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2022