TAXILA: The city police officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani on Monday removed the station house officer (SHO) of Taxila police station allegedly for misuse of power and authority, keeping officials of the food department in illegal confinement and taking prompt action against flour smugglers.

According to sources, food department officials foiled a bid to smuggle 330 bags of flour in a truck from Lahore to KhyberPakhtunkhwa on Hattar Road.

The three-member team of the food department led by Arif Mehmood took the truck and its driver to Taxila police station for legal action, but the SHO allegedly influenced the food department officials to give a statement which could benefit smugglers instead of registration of a case as per law.

Sources said that upon their refusal, the said official allegedly misbehaved with officials of the food department, harassed them and kept them in illegal confinement for around five hours.

Upon their release, these officials revealedtheir ordeal to deputy director food Rawalpindi and district food controller.As the matter was brought in to the notice of senior police officials, they directed the CPO Rawalpindi to take departmental action against the SHO and subsequently, he was suspended and directed to report to district police lines with immediate effect.

When contacted, a police spokesman confirmed suspension and transfer of the said official, however, he denied that the development was an aftermath of a standoff with the food department officials.