GUJRAT: A special court of anti-corruption in Gujranwala on Thursday acquitted four senior police officers, including three former Gujrat district police officers, in a corruption case of Rs320m.

Judge Ziaullah announced the verdict, mentioning unavailability of evidence against four officers led to their acquittal.

The incumbent director general of Punjab ACE, Sohail Zafar Chatha, who also heads the recently launched Crime Control Department CCD, DIG Rai Ijaz, his father Rai Zameer (retired DPO), SSP Kamran Mumtaz and some others were accused in the case lodged with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the allegations of embezzlement in the official funds of Gujrat police between 2014 to 17.

NAB had also filed a reference whereas DIG Rai Ijaz and SSP Kamran Mumtaz had also been arrested and remained in the Camp Jail, Lahore, for more than a year before being released on bail. However, Sohail Zafar Chatha and Rai Zameer were never arrested as Mr Chatha was abroad when the case was lodged.

Official sources said that after an amendment in the NAB law, the case was handed over to ACE for being of less than Rs500m.

Published in Dawn, Aug 1st, 2025