BAHAWALPUR    -    The Bahawalpur police have handed over stolen vehicles, motorcycles, and other valuables worth millions of rupees to the owners which were recovered from thieves during investigations. A handing over ceremony was held at Police Lines Bahawalpur on Friday, during which Regional Police Officer (RPO), Bahawalpur, Munir Ahmad Zia Rao, handed over eight stolen vehicles and 52 bikes, and other valuables to the owners.

Addressing the ceremony, the RPO said that Bahawalpur police had launched a crackdown against criminals and arrested dozens of them while recovering vehicles, bikes, and other goods from their possession. He said that culprits involved in theft and other heinous crimes had been arrested and FIRs had been registered against them. It was the duty of the police to provide security to the life and property of citizens, he added. .

He directed the police officials including SDPOs and SHOs to ensure rule of law within their jurisdiction and urged them to deploy required security personnel at entry and exit points of the district besides increasing police patrolling on roads. Meanwhile, the Bahawalpur district police have contended that man whose body was found in Lalo Naich village lying within the jurisdiction of PS Chani Goth was not wanted by the police in any case. A Bahawalpur police spokesperson said on Friday that there was no truth behind the allegation that the police had arrested the deceased identified as Wasaya in a case. He informed that Wasaya had a land dispute with his neighbours.

“There wasn’t any case registered against Wasaya with the police and he was not wanted by the police,” he added.

The spokesperson further said that the body had been shifted to the hospital morgue for postmortem. Meanwhile a police investigation team headed by SDPO/ ASP Ahmadpur East was investigating the incident.