Lahore – In an unusual disciplinary action, the Shahdara Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against six of their own constables for allegedly extorting money from citizens under the guise of "Eidi." Strikingly, the officers have been charged under Section 9 of the Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance, 1958, effectively booking them for begging.
According to FIR No. 2548/26, the accused officers were deployed on Muhafiz Squad duty at Barkat Town Puli on the night of May 20. The FIR states that the constables were intercepting passing vehicles and pedestrians, demanding money as Eidi. The case was initiated after a local resident, Muhammad Saleem, complained that the officers stopped his vehicle and forcibly took Rs. 6,500 from him.
The complainant, Sub-Inspector Amjad Hussain Bajwa, noted in the FIR that demanding money from respectable citizens while serving as on-duty government officials constitutes begging under the Vagrancy Act. Further investigation into the matter is underway.