Zangi Khan, Bhangi Khan groups clash in court over blood feud

Seven injured in brawl; questions raised about judicial complex security

RAWALPINDI: Security of the city and district courts again became an issue when Seven people were injured as two groups of rival litigants entered a brawl at the judicial complex on Saturday.

Police remained silent bystanders as people fought it free for all on premises of court. There have been earlier instances of clashes too, while in one instances people had used firearms in a clash at the judicial complex.

On Saturday, the feuding groups came to attend the hearing of a murder-attempt case in the court of Judge Chaudhry Yasir.

City Police Officer (CPO) Faisal Rana ordered registration of cases against the suspects under sections of terrorism.

According to the police, two rival groups of Zangi Khan and Bhangi Khan reached the complex to attend the hearing of a murder case when they lost patience and lunged at each other. The suspects used iron rods and even bricks and stones on each other owing to which seven people were injured.

As the information was circulated, a heavy force of police reached the site and controlled the situation. The police registered a case against members of both groups in the Civil Lines police station. In this regard, SP Potohar Syed Ali said that cases were registered under sections of terrorism on directions of CPO while, he expressed, that the suspects could not carry arms with them inside the complex due to fool proof security.

Judicial complex becomes security risk

Recurring incidents of feud between the litigants particularly in murder cases have raised serious questions on the security of what should have been highly guarded premises.

Of the 219 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at judicial complex and old kutcheri, 62 do not work anymore four hand-held metal detectors have also ceased to function properly.

Despite the threats, the security system seems has been left completely at the mercy of 43 policemen collectively who have been witnessed as silent spectators in various cases of brawls between litigants.

Due to the negligence of the police, two hand-cuffed suspects were murdered by their rivals in complex’s premises last year.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2019.