KARACHI: An inquiry conducted by a senior police officer has raised serious questions over the alleged role of DIG-South Asad Raza as it accuses him of ‘facilitating’ the alleged criminal activities of DSP Umair Tariq Bajari, who is behind bars in connection with a Rs20 million robbery during a police raid on the house of a trader in Orangi Town.

DIG-West Asim Khan had conducted the inquiry into the role of officials of the South police in carrying out the raid-cum-robbery in the trader’s house. On his report, SSP-South Imran Qureshi was removed, DSP Bajari and a few others were arrested and a case was registered against them.

The inquiry officer submitted some ‘additional observations’ to Inspector General of Police Riffat Mukhtar Raja and suggested a thorough probe against senior officers of the South zone.

“He [DSP Bajari] was provided opportunity/facilitation and support by senior officers to get involved in illegal acts from the start of his professional career,” claimed the DIG-West in his report submitted to the provincial police chief. “The role of senior officers of South Zone is alarming and needs to be thoroughly enquired.”

DIG-South accused of facilitating criminal activities of DSP Bajari; Asad Raza denies charges as ‘baseless accusations’

It recommended that a “detailed fact finding enquiry” regarding the said observations/facts might be conducted through a “team consisting of senior officers to know the truth of observations/facts” mentioned above.

The report quoting unnamed ‘various sources’ said that “there were many complaints against Mr Umair Tariq Bajari from all over Karachi and many of them were in the knowledge of Mr Asad Raza, being SSP South (before promoting to DIGP) and being DIGP South Zone and other senior officials of South Zone. Umair Tariq Bajari is new in professional life.”

The police inquiry team, led by DIG-West, also took the DIG-South to task for not fully cooperating during the investigation of the case by allegedly ‘preventing’ the Defence SHO from attending the meeting of the inquiry committee.

The additional note of the inquiry stated that Defence SHO Shoukat Awan, who returned the cash and gold to the victim/complainant of the case, was called by the inquiry committee for his personal appearance but he did not appear and when the team visited the police station concerned he was not there.

Later, he informed the investigating officer of the case that he was “stopped” and instructed by the DIG-South that he should not appear before the the team, the additional note stated. “This act of Mr Asad Raza, DIGP South Zone, is a direct interference in the process of investigation,” it added.

Meanwhile, the DIG South told Dawn that these were ‘baseless allegations’.

He said that he had explained/clarified his position before the IGP about these charges. He denied that he stopped the Defence SHO from appearing before the inquiry committee.

He also said that during his tenure as SSP-South, DSP Bajari being an under-training officer, was never ever assigned any active position or sent to any raid.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2023