Wah Cantt-Police claimed to have arrested leader of a ring operating in the area for grabbling lands. The police said that several cases had been registered against the arrested land grabber in various police stations of the area.
Sohail Akhter, resident of Malikabad, was wanted in a number of cases of illegal occupation of private lands, especially those owned by retired government employees and widows. He was running a 15 to 20 member racket which was involved in land grabbing and illegal occupation cases and had spread a wave of terror in the area due to firing at the opponents and kidnapping them. According to sources, he registered fake cases against his occupants to pressurise them for land sale with connivance of some notorious people of the area.
Sub divisional Police officer Taxila DSP Masood Mazhar told media here that the ring leader was arrested red handed near Brahma interchange by Wah sadder Police when he was abducting a local landlord Safdar Sultan who refused to sell his land to him at throwaway price. He said that during search, police recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition from his vehicle including 5 Kalashnikovs rifles with 714 rounds, a 12-bore rifle with 73 rounds, 3 pistols of 30 bore with 450 rounds and a pistol of 9 MM with six rounds.
In related development, two more complainants turned up to local police after the police arrested the accused on charges of kidnapping, illegal confinement, possession of illegal weapons and land grabbing cases. Safdar reported to Wah Saddar Police that accused Sohail Akhter along with his 15 accomplices had occupied his house and razed it with heavy machinery and later even took the derbies.
Separately, Abid reported to police that Sohail AKhter had illegally occupied land of his brother Irfan and when he refused to sell him the land at throwaway price, the accused and his accomplices abducted his brother and shifted him to unknown place. The abducted person was not recovered till filing this news report.
Several complainants had turned up at the open court of city police officer and deputy commissioner held here at a government school few days ago in which they alleged that Akhter had illegally occupied their lands and properties.