57 villagers booked for thrashing policemen

Accused snatched weapons and tore police uniforms

OKARA: The police booked 57 villagers over thrashing policemen and snatching their mobile phones, cash, weapons in Chah Shahabal Wala near Jandraka, some 35 kilometres away on Okara-Jandaraka Road.

A police official told The Express Tribune that a team of Ravi police station, headed by SHO Muhammad Hussain, received information that a festival was being held at the shrine of Baba Lal Shah and people were violating the Loudspeaker Act.



The police rushed to the spot and tried to stop the people from misusing the loudspeaker and also arrested a girl who was performing dance in the festival.

During the course, the villagers got enraged and started beating and thrashing the policemen with sticks and rods. As a result, SHO Muhammad Hussain, ASI Zulfiqar, Constables Liaqat Ali and Ismail suffered injuries and were shifted to rural health centre, Bama B ala for treatment.

The villagers also snatched a police rifle, mobile phones, Rs15,500 and tore the uniform of the police personnel.



As the situation worsened, police reinforcement was called which reached the area and controlled the situation. At least 57 accused, including Rustam Ali, Akram, Akbar, Kalu, Ali Raza, Mohsin, Azam, Fozia and others were booked under sections 6, 395, 397, 353, 186 and 294 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Punjab Sound System Ordinance 2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2017.