People swarm to bail out kite fliers in Pindi

Police bring in arrested children, some as young as seven years old

RAWALPINDI: There was a rush of people in Rawalpindi district katcheri where some 510 kite-flyers, kite sellers and those accused of aerial firing were presented in the district katcheri on Saturday.

Parents, family members, friends and community people thronged the courts as many suspects booked on the charges included minors and youngsters.

Judicial Magistrate Iqbal Sanghera imposed fines between Rs3,000 to Rs10,000 on the kite flyers whereas the kite-sellers were fined as much as Rs25,000 each for defying ban on the sport that has killed and injured many people in the past due to low hanging metallic twine getting entangled in victims’ necks.

Further, the court imposed fines on the parents of the suspects aged above 10-year and below 18-year. However, children as young as seven and 10-year arrested by police for kite flying were let off with a warning.

Judicial Magistrate Sanghera warned the parents that they would be sent to jail along with their children if they were arrested for flying kites again.

However, three suspects who were arrested on the charges of aerial firing would remain in police custody as the courts rejected their bail pleas and sent them to the jail on judicial remand. The court, however, approved hearing of their pleas and issued notices to the respective SHOs for presenting the record against them on February 24.

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Visually impaired man arrested

While hauling people by dozens, the Sadiqabad police also arrested a visually impaired citizen Shabbir Kharal.

Magistrate Sanghera released him after seeing the medical report. However, CPO Ahsan Younus has suspended the SHO for arresting Kharal.

Rawal SP Rai Mazhar Iqbal said that the police’s crackdown against kite-flyers and aerial shooters was still under way. He said around 50 more people have been arrested for violating ban on kite flying on Saturday.

Three injured in critical condition

Among the 50 people injured on Friday due to aerial firing, three were still in critical condition.

Stray bullets had penetrated the heads of two and the stomach of another.

Doctors have removed the bullets from the heads of Aisha and Amjad after operation whereas Nauman is expected to be treated on Sunday.

Vctims were admitted in the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for treatment.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2020.