GUJRAT, Aug 3: The Anti-corruption Establishment (ACE) has registered a case on the directives of the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the Gujrat tehsil nazim, Karianwala union council naib nazim and two Karianwala policemen for receiving Rs10 million gratification to withdraw a fake kidnapping case.

Dawn has learned that Sajid Gul Bhatti, a resident of Karianwala and now settled in Lahore, moved the LHC, stating that his relative Babur Bhatti, of Karianwala, in connivance with Saleem Akhtar, a PML-Q naib nazim of Karianwala union council, had lodged a fake case of kidnapping of his four-year-old son around a year ago.

He said the Karianwala police had arrested him and Gujrat tehsil nazim Chaudhry Saadat Nawaz Ajnala demanded Rs10 million gratification for withdrawal of the case.

Sajid added that the then SHO, Inspector Safdar Warraich, and Ashraf Malhi, a sub-inspector (SI), released him on the directives of the tehsil nazim for withdrawing Rs10 million from a bank, and later dropped the case after the tehsil nazim had received the amount.

Proceeding on this writ petition, the LHC directed the ACE to register a case against the tehsil nazim, naib nazim and two policemen, which it did around a week ago. The accused are on bail till Aug 16.

When contacted, Tehsil Nazim Ajnala refuted the allegations levelled against him in the FIR and said he had not received any money.

Meanwhile, Dawn also learned that following the registration of the case, Gujrat DPO Tahir Alam suspended Inspector Safdar Warraich and SI Ashraf Malhi from service.