HYDERABAD: Six policemen, including an inspector, two sub-inspectors and three constables, were dismissed from service for keeping people in wrongful confinement and extorting money from them in return for release in two separate cases.

Hyderabad SSP Dr Farrukh Ali said that departmental action was taken against inspector Asif Jatoi, sub-inspector Waheed Panhwar, in-charge Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) Saifullah Gill and police constables Zubair, Mehmood Gujjar and Zohaib. He added that two more policemen would face similar departmental action after completion of some necessary formalities.

The action against the policemen was taken over two separate cases of wrongful confinement of people at SITE police station and at a guest house in Latifabad. Asif Jatoi and Saifullah Gill were terminated from service for keeping a person, Hubdar, in wrongful confinement on Sept 11.

Hubdar was complainant in an FIR lodged under section 342, 395, and 504(2) PPC. Police constable Zubair and four unidentified policemen were also booked in the same FIR. According to the complainant, he was waylaid in a car by the accused on Sept 11 and brought to SITE police station where they deprived him of his ATM card, mobile phones and Rs83,000 cash.

The victim said that he was taken to a private bank, where the accused policemen withdrew cash from his accounts using ATM cards, totaling Rs422,000.

He claimed he was then forced to record a fake video statement on his mobile phone, in which he was made to confess that he was a bookie. After this, he was released.

He stated that the Rs422,000 was withdrawn through a combination of ATM transactions, EasyPaisa, and mobile phone company cash transfers. Additionally, he alleged that Rs41,000, Rs245,000, Rs83,000, and Rs53,000 were also withdrawn and forcibly taken from him while he was in police custody.

ATF in-charge Waheed Panhwar, Zohaib and Mehmood Gujjar were dismissed for keeping two persons, Mohammad Saleh alias Jawad Memon and Atiq Soomro (both residents of Naushahro Feroz) in wrongful confinement at a guest house in Latifabad after picking them up from outside civil court within the jurisdiction of Cantonment police station.

SHO Imran Rasheed of Cantonment became complainant in this case lodged under sections 342 and 506/2 PPC.

Waheed Panhwar and his co-accused had withdrawn Rs1.9m through online application from their account. Cantonment police had also booked one unidentified policeman and three private persons, including Ghulam Mustafa Alias Raja, Uzair Ali and Mohammad Bux.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2024