Rawalpindi man claims cash, gold stolen during alleged police raid

RAWALPINDI: Police action allegedly turned into misconduct after a citizen accused law enforcement personnel of conducting a raid on his house without a search warrant, with CCTV footage showing alleged looting and vandalism in the Gulistan Colony area of Civil Lines police jurisdiction, ARY News reported.

According to the complainant, a heavy contingent of police, including female constables and plainclothes officers, entered his residence in Rawalpindi without legal authorization, allegedly violating the sanctity of the home. The incident has triggered an inquiry after footage of the episode was submitted as evidence.

The affected citizen, identified as Mazhar Iqbal, stated in his application to the Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi that hidden CCTV cameras installed in the house recorded the entry of police personnel. He further claimed that both video and audio recordings of the incident exist.

He alleged that police first broke the CCTV cameras and DVR system before threatening the family members. The complainant also accused officers of looting Rs500,000 in cash and two gold rings during the raid.

According to the application, the dispute is linked to an ongoing case with neighbours who had previously objected to CCTV cameras installed at the residence. The complainant alleged that police acted on the influence of those neighbours and harassed women inside the house.

The application names ASI Shakur of Civil Lines police station along with 12 to 14 other officials in connection with the allegations.

RPO Rawalpindi Babar Sarfraz Alpa has taken notice of the incident and ordered the SSP Operations to conduct a thorough investigation. He also directed a prompt report on the matter, while the victim has appealed to senior police officials in Rawalpindi for immediate action.