Lahore

Alleged robbers freed on MPA’s ‘pressure’ Tuesday, October 28, 2008 By Our Correspondent LAHORE PML-N MPA Ali Abbas Khokhar allegedly managed to get released two accused involved in a dacoity case from the custody of Depalpur City police, alleged complainant Mushtaq Ahmad. However, the MPA denied the allegation levelled against him by the complainant, saying that during the investigation, the police declared the accused innocent. The complainant said he, his father Manzoor Ahmad, brothers Muhammad Irshad and Sakhawat and other family members were sleeping in their house when three accused, Umar, Abdullah and Riaz, armed with pistols and daggers, broke into their house in the midnight on August 28, 2008. The dacoits while holding the family members at gunpoint demanded keys of trunks. However, he, his father and brothers offered resistance. The accused stabbed him, his father and brothers with daggers. On hearing their hue and cry, locals rushed to their house. Realising the situation, the accused attempt to run away from the scene, but, he hit the head of one of the accused Umar with a club and he was wounded critically while his two other accomplices managed to escape. The locals overpowered the wounded accused, who later identified himself as Umar and accomplices as Abullah and Riaz. All the injured were rushed to the local hospital, where accused Umar succumbed to his injuries. Manzoor said the local police registered a case against the accused under Section 394 on his complaint. He claimed that the local police arrested accused Abdullah and Riaz. However, on the intervention of a local MPA, the police released both the accused after receiving bribe, he alleged. He demanded Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of the MPA’s alleged support to the criminals. He also demanded Punjab IGP Shaukat Javed to initiate action against SHO Depalpur City police for releasing the accused after receiving bribe. Ali Abbas, while talking to The News said the allegation was baseless. “Yes it is true the accused belonged to my constituency, but I never supported them. The accused remained in the police custody for two weeks. During the investigation, the police declared the accused innocent. But the complainant kept on insisting that the accused are not innocent. I have told the complainant that the accused are ready to give every kind of guarantee and explanation to prove their innocence”. When contacted SHO Depalpur City Inspector Muhammad Aslam, he said he recently had taken charge of the post of SHO and he did not know about the matter.While talking to The News, Sub Inspector Altaf Hussain, Investigation Officer, said the accused Abdullah and Riaz remained in the police custody and were declared innocent during the investigation. He said one of the accused, Umar who was injured during the incident and later succumbed to injuries in the hospital, belonged to a banned religious outfit. He said Umar, before his death, had falsely implicated his cousins Abdullah and Riaz, due to family dispute. He said Umar and Abullah had voluntarily joined the investigation and were declared innocent during the investigation as during investigation, it was proved that Umar had nourished a grudge against Abdullah and Riaz, since they had ended their relations with him because of his suspicious activities.