KARACHI: Two police officers were on Tuesday removed from their posts after a probe reportedly found out their involvement in a robbery during a raid on the house of a trader in Orangi Town two days ago.

According to a notification issued on Tuesday evening, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Riffat Mukhtar Raja removed SSP-South Imran Qureshi and DSP Umair Tariq Bajari, who is an under-training officer attached with the SSP, from their respective posts.

It said that SSP Qureshi was transferred and directed to report to Central Police Office (CPO). However, the notification did not cite any reason behind their sudden removal.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, two officers privy to the whole episode told Dawn that a team of South police, led by DSP Bajari, had recently conducted a raid on the residence of a trader in Orangi Town.

IGP takes decision after DIG submits inquiry report into allegations of theft by policemen during raid

The police team took away a hefty amount of cash, jewellery as well as the digital video recorder to remove the CCTV footage during the raid. However, they were exposed with the help of the footage of other CCTV cameras installed in the street, they added.

The incident that sparked an outrage on social media prompted the IGP-Sindh to set up an inquiry team, led by West DIG Asim Khan. The police chief tasked the inquiry body to investigate the conduct of the South police on the night between Nov 18 and 19 in Orangi Town, where they allegedly entered a house and took away money and jewellery.

The officials said that the DIG-West had submitted a detailed report to the IGP and both the SSP and DSP were removed in the light of the findings of the probe.

Media reports said that over a dozen men, some of them clad in police uniform, raided a house in Orangi Town, held the family at gunpoint, and stole over Rs20 million, 70 to 80 tolas of gold and other valuables.

After the issue was highlighted on social media and the police chief formed a committee, some police officials had returned a significant part of the looted cash and jewellery to the family. They also reportedly pressurised them to not lodge an FIR against those identified in the CCTV footage.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2023