Cop among five held for looting people

I 36 booked on land grabbing charge

rawalpindi - Police have busted a five-member gang, including a police officer, allegedly involved in looting people with the help of girls. The gang was operating under the supervision of a police officer who has also been arrested and suspended by City Police Officer (CPO) Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi.

The accused including the police officer, a woman and a girl were remanded in police custody for four days, informed sources yesterday. The gang members were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ghulam Muhammad (ring leader), Zeeshan, Arshad, Shaista Nargis and Kajal, sources said.

According to sources, the gang was busted by Taxila police on a tip-off. The accused had robbed several persons with the help of call girls. The gang plundered million of rupees from road users and rich people, sources said. Taking action, the CPO suspended the ASI and ordered departmental inquiry against him.

Upon contacting, Station House Officer of Police Station Taxila Ghulam Asghar Chandia told The Nation that the ASI was operating the gang. Sharing the style of crime of the gang members, the SHO said that the women trapped the people through calls and used to meet them in vehicle or somewhere else.

While the ASI and other boys intercepted the couples and demanded money for not revealing the matter to their families. He said that a court granted police four days physical remand of the accused.

Meanwhile, police booked at least 36 persons, including father of PML-N vice chairman of Union Council Adiala, on charges of grabbing property illegally and opening firing at police party at Dhala village. The case had been registered with police station Saddar Bairooni on complaint of plaintiff Sub-Inspector Malik Muhammad Yar under sections 324/148/149/353/186 of PPC.

However, the accused Raja Abuzar who is father of PML-N Vice-Chairman UC Adiala, Raja Shamas, has obtained pre-arrest bail from the court of law, sources informed The Nation yesterday.

According to details, SI Malik Muhammad Yar lodged a complaint that he received a call from Rescue 15 that armed men stormed into the office of a private farmhouse located at Dhala and made the entire staff hostage at gunpoint.

He mentioned that he along with police team went to the site to free the property from clutches of grabbers when the grabbers including Raja Abuzar, Ashfaq, Mazhar Hussain, Ziafat Ali, Iqbal, Waqas, Junaid Ali, Muhammad Farooq, Ali Raza and Syed Hammad Shah along with 20 to 25 unknown men armed with lethal weapons started indiscriminate firing at police party. He said that the bullets pierced into police van and office of the farmhouse while cops hardly saved their lives. The SHO sought legal action against the attackers.

Meanwhile, Raja Shamas staged a protest demonstration against police at Adiala Road. The protestors chanted slogans against police officers and demanded impartial inquiry into the matter.

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