DADU: Seven police officials were suspended and a departmental inquiry was instituted on Friday after a consignment of 1,000 ration bags meant for the families affected by a huge fire in Faiz Mohammad Daryani Chandio village of Mehar taluka was allegedly stolen by officers and personnel of the Faridabad police station.

Dadu SSP Irfan Samoo took notice of the misappropriation of the relief consignment and ordered suspension of the duty staff identified as Ismail Soomro, Pervaiz, Kashif, Mohammad Hussain, Asad Ali, Kafeel and Waheed Ali.

Show-cause notices were issued to SHO Akhtar Ali Lashari and WHC Ghulam Mustafa.

It was reported to the SSP that the duty staff forming a task force for the distribution of relief goods among fire-hit families used police vans to take away the ration consignment and transport them to the houses of police officers and personnel, inst­ead of the affected families.

The SSP formed an inquiry committee headed by Inspector Nazeer Ahmed Mallah and asked it to submit its report within the next 48 hours.

Court takes notice of fire, negligence

The Model Criminal Trial Court of Dadu on Friday took notice of the fire that raged through Faiz Mohammad Daryani Chandio village for almost 12 hours and left nine children and youths dead, besides destroying the entire village on Monday evening.

It was reported that no fire tenders or rescue teams were sent to the village by the district administration or town committee concerned.

Notices were issued to the Jamshoro anti-corruption establishment director and deputy director; deputy commissioner; administrators of Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Dadu municipalities as well as Dadu ACE’s circle officer for April 26.

They have been asked to appear in court along with relevant records regarding the tragic incident and details of fund utilisation by the municipalities concerned.

The court issued the notices on an application filed by a lawyer, Pir Ghulam Mohammad.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2022