Traders pay about Rs4.5m as extortion money: IG informs IHC

Islamabad: Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad Police here Monday informed Justice Shaukat Aziz Sidddiqui of Islamabad High Court that the Fruit and Vegetable Market (Sabzi Mandi) traders pay approximately Rs4.5 million as extortion money to at least two different groups for running their business. The most astonishing revelations of collecting extortion money in the federal capital came up when IHC Justice Siddiqui resumed hearing in the writ petition of a fruit and vegetable trader Aman Ullah Sheeno who had stated before the court that the Sabzi Mandi Police Station registered fake cases against him after he refused to pay the extortion money. IHC bench on September 6 had issued notices to the IG Islamabad, the CDA chairman and deputy commissioner Islamabad directing them to appear before the court. IHC Justice Siddiqui directed the IG, CDA chairman and deputy commissioner Islamabad to work out a collective effort to eliminate the menace of extortion from the vegetable market otherwise the place would turn as ‘Sohrab Goth’. While hearing the case IHC judge observed that if the appropriate measures would not be taken, the evil of extortion would spread to the other business markets of the city. IG Islamabad Sikandar Hayat told the court that he already ordered a secret inquiry into the matter and it came to his knowledge that there were two groups collecting extortion money from the traders of Sabzi Mandi. He further told the court that the petitioner Sheeno has links with a group that collects extortion money. Justice Siddiqui of IHC, however, directed the IG Islamabad to appear before the court on September 18 and brief the court about concretive steps being taken. Justice Siddiqui also ordered the IG Islamabad to investigate whether some local politicians, officials of CDA or Islamabad administration are backing the extortion mafia and if found their involvement then to proceed against them in accordance with the law. The petitioner through his counsel Malik Saeed Khan advocate adopted before the court that Sabzi Mandi Police Station due to non-payment of monthly extortion money has registered fake case against him including encroachment and some others.Counsel for the petitioner argued before the court that if his client is involved in any crime, the case may be shifted from Sabzi Mandi Police circle to some other police circle. Source