SUKKUR: The Jacobabad District and Sessions Judge Abdul Ghafoor Kalhoro has summoned two DSPs and three of their subordinate officers following complaints against them regarding their regular practice of stealing and selling seized contrabands and smuggled Iranian oil.

Through notices issued to them, the police officers have been asked to appear before the judge on November 13. The Jacobabad SSP has also been ordered to ensure their personal appearance on the date.

The judge took notice of the complaints after receiving credible information in this regard and also some relevant posts that had gone viral on the social media.

Judge Kalhoro has summoned DSP Sultan Chandio, DSP (undertraining) at Police Line Abdul Qadir Soomro and ASI Roshan Ali Katto posted at Police Line, along with the SHO of Saddar police station and Shambi Shah check-post incharge.

They are accused of having been in a regular practice of intercepting oil tankers and other vehicles coming from Balochistan at the Shambi Shah check-post, confiscating contrabands and Iranian oil and selling the same in local markets.

Police accused of extortion

Traders of Jacobabad have also accused the city police of having made people’s life miserable by resorting to extortion and other excesses. They said traders, transport operators and ordinary people were equally affected by the unlawful activities of the city police.

Speaking to the media, Anjuman Tajiran-i-Jacobabad president Mir Ahmad Ali Brohi along with Hindu General Panchayat president Lalchand Seetlani said that police officers and personnel posted at the check-post were routinely intercepting passing cargo vehicles to seize their consignments of dry fruits, seeds, fertilisers and other commodities and also demanding bribe to let off the crew.

They said the excesses were badly affecting their businesses.

The traders pointed out that the police had started detaining transport operators at a time when wheat and other crops were ready to be transported from one place to the other. They had already been seizing fertilser and urea consignments on different pretext, they said.

Mir Brohi and Mr Seetlani alleged that the policemen were extorting money from transport operators and crews of the vehicles. They said complaints had been made repeatedly to the Jacobabad SSP but he remained indifferent.

They said that the police were also not taking any measures to control crime as dacoits and robbers were looting people at their whim. They appealed to the caretaker chief minister and provincial police chief to take immediate notice of the excesses and ensure protection to the business community and common people.

They also warned of a shutterdown strike across Jacobabad if remedial measures were not taken soon.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2023