Guard arrested, alleged blackmail racket uncovered; concerns grow over damage to tourism and staff negligence
NAUKOT:
The Sindh Culture Minister has taken notice of an obscene viral video allegedly filmed inside the historic Naukot Fort, triggering administrative action against the fort staff.
Following these events, a guard identified as Walam Bheel was arrested by the Vejhoto police and transferred to an undisclosed location for questioning.
Meanwhile, a retired former guard, Aachar Bheel, claimed that the video was around a year old. However, police sources said preliminary investigations suggest that the suspects involved in lewd acts inside the fort were secretly filmed and then blackmailed.
It also emerged that for several years, a suspected gang of blackmailers had been operating inside the fort with the connivance of a guard.
According to sources, the gang would provide visitors with secluded spots inside the fort for money, secretly record videos of intimate acts and then blackmail the victims. Several videos of this type exist.
In August last year, provincial culture minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah made a surprise visit to Naukot Fort, during which several employees absent from duty were suspended. However, they were reinstated a few months later.
Visitors to the fort have expressed concern that if such shameful videos from historical sites continue to surface and go viral, it would seriously harm tourism. They questioned who would be willing to visit such places under these circumstances, attributing the situation to the alleged incompetence and negligence of the personnel stationed at the fort.
Meanwhile, when the journalists tried to get the official version from the SHO, Amin Junejo allegedly behaved rudely and threatened the journalists, warning them of consequences if they did not leave the police station. The journalists then reported the matter to SSP Tharparkar.
Political and social leaders said domestic and foreign tourists regularly visit the historic fort, but warned that tourism would suffer badly if the situation was not corrected. They also pointed out that an entry fee of Rs50 is charged at the site, and thousands of rupees are collected daily.
Social and political leaders of Naukot and neighboring areas have demanded that the Prime Minister, Sindh Chief Minister and Culture Minister order a transparent investigation and initiate strict legal action against those responsible.
