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IGP asked to order probe against SHO

KARACHI: A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) comprising Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and Justice Ghulam Nabi Soomro on Thursday directed the Inspector General Police (IGP) Sindh to order an enquiry against a Sub-Inspector of Police (SI) Rasheed Haroon, SHO, PS Dharoo, district Thatta.

The order came during hearing of an appeal filed by an accused Jamil Ahmad Memon, tried and sentenced under Control of Narcotic Substances Act. The accused was arrested on December 20, 1998, after recovery of 1,340 grams charas from his possession.

The accused was sentenced to serve a seven-year term along with a fine of Rs 10,000 or in case of default in payment to serve another one-year term.

During the hearing of appeal before the SHC it came to the court notice the witness of recovery as per recovery memo namely Ali Hasan has denied that the recovery was affected in his presence and that the same was weighed also in his presence.

Another prosecution witness during cross examination conceded that he remained cook of the IO, SIP Rasheed Haroon.

The counsel for appellant during the hearing of the appeal also pointed out that according to report of the chemical examiner the recovered charas weighed 1,390 grams with a net weight of 1,350 grams whereas according to the police 1,340 grams was recovered.

It was also pointed out that the recovered charas was sent to the chemical examiner after a delay of more than a month.

Syed Jalil A Hashmi appearing for the state submitted that although gross negligence of the IO is established yet the factum of recovery of the charas cannot be doubted.

The bench after hearing both the sides allowed the appeal setting aside the sentence. APP