LARKANA: The Second Additional Sessions Judge of Qambar-Shahdadkot, Suhail Ahmed Jatoi, awarded five years rigorous imprisonment to Jamil Ahmed Chandio, then station house officer (SHO) of the Mirokhan police station, for leading a raid on the house of a villager and herding away a large number of his animals on Feb 3, 2015.

The villager, Tariq Brohi, a resident of Shalyani Burira village of Qambar-Shahdad district, had lodged a direct complaint against the then DSP, SHO and 25-30 police personnel under Sections 452, 395, 506/2, 220, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The complainant stated that the police officers along with their personnel in in uniform entered his house, overpowered his family members and herded away 49 cows, 41 sheep, five goats, three buffaloes and three calves.

He said approached the DSP, SHO and the in-charge of the police cattle shed for the release of his animals but they declined.

The complainant stated that he then filed a petition (No. S 210/2015) in the Sindh High Court, which subsequently ordered the Kambar-Shahdadkot SSP to initiate an inquiry into the matter.

According to court sources, the DSP Nasirabad conducted the inquiry and submitted his report to the SSP. The report found SHO Chandio guilty of the offence and the DSP innocent in the case.

The SSP submitted the inquiry report in the high court which on June 10, 2015 had ordered the SSP to take against action against the SHO.

The SSP asked for registering an FIR at the same police station but the SHO declined arguing that the offence was committed within the jurisdiction of the Gaibi Dero police station and, as such, the case should be registered there. However, the SHO of Gaibi Dero, when approached by the complainant, also refused to register the FIR.

Finally, a direct compliant was lodged in the sessions court and, during proceedings of the case, the charge was framed.

The judge heard arguments from both sides and pursued the evidence.

He convicted SHO Jamil Chandio under Section 265-H (ii) for committing the crime.

He handed own five years rigorous imprisonment to the SHO and also ordered him to pay a fine of Rs200,000. In case of failure to pay the fine amount, the convict would have to undergo another six months rigorous imprisonment, the judge ordered.

During the case proceedings, it also surfaced in the SSP’s inquiry report that the SHO was a habitual offender as he had committed other robberies and one such case (FIR No. 18/2015) was registered against him at the Qubo Saeed Khan police station under Section 395, 342 and 506/2 PPC, the judgment said.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2022