Police handling of Anmol alias Pinky arrest draws scrutiny

KARACHI: Questions have emerged over the police handling of the arrest of alleged drug suspect Anmol, also known as Pinky, after discrepancies in the official record and the manner of subsequent proceedings prompted criticism and concern among residents of a Karachi apartment complex.

According to the first information report, the suspect was arrested from Flat No 306 in Bilal Arcade near Faqeeri Masjid in Garden West. However, the FIR did not mention which phase of Bilal Arcade was involved, even though the residential complex consists of five separate phases. The omission has raised concerns about the accuracy of the police account.

Subsequent inquiries indicated that the arrest was said to have taken place in Phase II of Bilal Arcade. Residents of that phase reacted strongly after the incident received wide media attention, saying the coverage had unfairly associated their building with criminal activity and caused reputational harm.

Union representatives of Bilal Arcade Phase II said the premises came under intense attention after the news surfaced, with journalists gathering outside the building. They said the situation caused distress among residents.

Following the reaction, union office-bearers and the owner of the flat, identified as Saleem, went to Garden police station to raise the matter with officials. Police officers reportedly admitted the lapse, apologised, and asked residents not to speak to the media and to limit journalists' access to the building.

The flat owner and his tenant said they did not know the accused. The tenant, a woman who has lived in the apartment for the past eight years, said Pinky had never come to the flat and had not been seen in the area.

Court proceedings and investigation

A video has also surfaced showing the arrest of Anmol alias Pinky in Karachi. The footage shows police officers arriving at an apartment and knocking on the door, which was opened by the suspect before officers entered. It also shows a female police constable taking Pinky's mobile phone immediately after entering the apartment, after which police personnel searched the flat.

Police later presented the arrested woman before the Judicial Magistrate South court, where the court approved a three-day physical remand for further investigation. Investigators told the court that 1,540 grams of cocaine and 6,970 grams of raw material were recovered during the arrest operation.

According to police officials, the suspect was allegedly running a drug supply network in Karachi, and cases under the Anti-Narcotics Act had been registered against her between 2021 and 2024. Police also said investigators had compiled details of previous cases against her in connection with alleged narcotics offences in recent years.

Police claimed that at least 14 cases had been registered against Pinky in connection with alleged narcotics-related offences in multiple parts of Karachi.

Investigators initially did not obtain physical remand after the court sent the suspect to judicial custody until May 25 in earlier proceedings. They later filed a fresh request, saying custody was needed to trace the source of the cocaine supply, examine the suspect's financial network and verify her criminal background. The court subsequently accepted the request and granted a three-day physical remand.

The developments have placed the spotlight not only on the narcotics case but also on procedural questions surrounding the arrest record and the impact of the case on residents of the building named in the police documents.