KATHMANDU: The police force being the law enforcement agency is expected to make others abide by the law of the land. But what if these law enforcers themselves are found breaching this very ethos?

In such an appaling revelation, Metropolitan Police Range (MPR) Hanumandhoka has endorsed what the public have been alleging the cops for their nexus with criminals. The office recently laid bare a rock-solid evidence of the police officials’ involvement in unlawful activities.

A squad of Professional Standard Unit (PSU) under MPR on Saturday arrested three cops for allegedly taking five suspected drug traffickers hostage in gunpoint and soliciting bribe from them. The PSU is empowered to look into illegal activities within the police department.

The arrested have been identified as constables Fanindra Pandey, Sher Bahadur Edi and Nirajan Thapa. Ironically, their duty station was MPR.

SSP Nawa Raj Silwal, in-charge of MPR, said that the accused trio, along with Bishal Acharya, a waiter of Beer Dance Bar in Thamel, had set out for Maharajgunj-based Sekuwa Corner Restaurant, acting on a tip off but without informing the office.

Constable Edi had reportedly acquired a loaded pistol with seven rounds of cartridges. However, the authenticity of his claim is yet to be verified. A special squad dispatched from Metropolitan Police Sector at Lainchour succeeded in apprehending constable Pandey red-handed while he was trashing the five alleged drug traffickers, including Ram Lama, Basanta Thapa and Nawaraj Ghimire in New Gate Cyber, Thamel.

“The three arrested constables have been indicted for their unlawful activities to tarnish the image of entire police department, going against the Police Act and Regulations. Those misusing the weapons of the police won’t be let off the hook,” Silwal added.

The three are already suspended from their posts.

This was not the first case exposed to the public, however.

Earlier, the police had booked 24 police personnel after they were found working hand-in-glove with criminal gangs involved in extortion, robbery, drug trafficking, forgery and fraud. Of those facing the legal action, two each were inspectors and sub-inspectors, six assistant sub-inspectors, five head constables and nine constables.

“Considering that it’s high time we pushed the clean-up drive to purge the anti-police element, we have begun looking into such matters with utmost attention lately,” argued Silwal.