ISLAMABAD: A police official was booked under several charges after he was found guilty in an inquiry conducted to establish facts of embezzlement and poor investigations.

The case was registered at the Noon police station against the police official under section 155-C (police officer who is guilty of any wilful breach or neglect of any provision of law or of any rule or regulation or any order which he is bound to observe or obey) of Police Order 2002 and sections 165 (Public servant obtaining valuable thing, without consideration from person concerned in proceeding or business transacted by such public servant), 166 (Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person) and 411 (Dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the PPC.

The misconduct of the official was brought to the knowledge of the capital police through a special report by their counterpart at the Wah Cantonment, a police officer said. SHO Wah Cantonment police station in the report said that the police arrested a suspect in connection with a robbery case registered on June 10, 2024.

During interrogation, the suspect disclosed that after committing the crime, he and three other accomplices were intercepted by the capital police at a checkpoint at Chungi No 26 while attempting to flee towards the motorway.

The capital police arrested the four individuals and shifted them to the police station. Two cases were registered against two of the suspects for illegal possession of arms and ammunition at the Noon police station.

The capital police embezzled the stolen items recovered from the suspects, the officer said. Following the special report, an inquiry was conducted which revealed that the two cases registered at the Noon police station involved the recovery of two 9mm pistols and 25 bullets.

During the inquiry, two officers from the checkpoint confirmed that they had arrested the four suspects and seized all items in the vehicle, which were handed over to the then duty officer, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI). The statements of the two policemen were proved when examined and verified.

The inquiry found that the ASI took possession of the items recovered from the suspects and did not mention them all in the recovery list. During further inquiry, 185 bullets of 9mm pistol and 222 bore wanted in connection with a case registered at Taxila police station were recovered from the ASI.

The stolen items from the robbery incident in Wah Cantonment, which were recovered from the suspects and later embezzled by the ASI, have yet to be retrieved.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024