KARACHI: In a major security breach, an accused involved in the kidnapping and murder of a businessman managed to escape from District Jail Malir, sending the jail administration into a frantic panic. The incident came to light on Saturday during the routine prisoner count following a ceremony at the facility.
According to sources from District Jail Malir, officials discovered one prisoner missing when the tally was conducted at the end of the event. The absconder was identified as Syed Tahir Naveed, alias Polka, an accused held in connection with a high-profile kidnapping and murder case.
The escape has severely undermined the security measures recently touted by the prison administration. Sources revealed that the jail officials only sprang into action after learning that a very important accused had managed to evade them.
The escaped suspect, Polka, was arrested just a few days ago by Joharabad police. During the investigation, police recovered the body of the kidnapped victim, Rehan Ahmed, from a water drum inside a flat at Chapel Garden Apartment on Abul Hasan Isfahani Road. Prior to this, police had already arrested the victim’s friend, Faisal Akram, in connection with the case. Jail sources confirmed that the kidnapped businessman, Rehan, had been missing since April 11.
This is not the first time the prison has faced scrutiny over escapes. Last year, during an earthquake in the Malir area, a large number of inmates fled the facility in a state of panic. The higher authorities had taken strict notice of that incident, ordered an inquiry, and subsequently suspended several officers. They had also issued clear instructions to install CCTV cameras to bolster prison security—a measure the jail administration later claimed to have implemented. However, Saturday’s incident has cast serious doubt on the effectiveness of those very measures.
Authorities have not yet released details on how Polka managed to dodge the jail administration, and an investigation is
underway.
