KASUR - It seems dacoits rule the roost in Kasur district as citizens were deprived of Rs290 million cash, 77 tola gold jewellery, 33 cellphones, four motorcycles, one car and a loading van in 77 different incidents occurred in different areas of the district during the month of January.
According to police sources, four dacoits intercepted Ashraf and Tufail travelling in a car and snatched Rs250,000 from them on Changa Manga Road, Chunian. The dacoits also shot at and injured Ashraf for resistance. In another incident, three dacoits snatched Rs20,000 and a cellphone from Naeem and Muzammil riding a motorbike near Dewan Marriage Hall, Chunian.
Near Shadman Colony, two dacoits deprived Jamil Ahmed of Rs5,000 and a cellphone. Near Ellahabad, two dacoits intercepted Rana Ashraf and his family travelling in a Suzuki van robbed them of Rs1.1 million.
Near Chunian Bypass, two dacoits intercepted motorcyclist Imran, snatched Rs20,000 and two-and-a-half-tola gold jewellery from him and fled. In Pattoki, Javed was intercepted at gunpoint by two dacoits near Gulshan Subhan Colony and was deprived of cash, cellphone and other valuables. In another incident, unidentified thieves stole a Suzuki van parked outside the house of Zahid Karim.
These are few incidents which could have been mentioned. There are countless such incidents in which people were shot at and injured for resisting robberies and had been deprived of cash and other valuables.
As far as police performance is concerned, it is not satisfactory. Police and other law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) are allegedly reluctant to go after the criminals. It seems the LEAs have left the public at the mercy of the criminal elements. The cops have restricted themselves to police stations, denying practical steps for the protection of life, honour and property of the common man.
Social, political, religious, lawyer and trade unions of the district also express grave concerns over the rising robbery and dacoity incidents. They flay the police failure to overcome the crime.
Talking to The Nation, they claimed to have submitted numerous complaints to the police higher-ups to draw their attention to the rising crimes in the district. “But the police higher-ups always lend a deaf ear to our complaints. We don’t know what can prod the policemen into action. They have turned a blind eye to public woes,” they said.
They urged Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab IG Police Capt (r) Arif Nawaz Khan and Kasur DPO Zahid Nawaz Murawwat to take notice of rising crimes in Kasur and order the police officers to spare no effort for the maintenance of peace in the district.
