Law and order: Cop, another arrested for fatal ‘gambling-den’ raid

16 protesters and four policemen injured in clashes during street demonstration that went on for 14 hours.

BAHAWALNAGAR:

A constable and another man were arrested by B Division police in a murder case registered on Saturday after a violent protest against alleged killing of an elderly man during a police raid in Bahawalnagar.

As many as 20 people, four policemen and 16 civilians, were injured in clashes during the demonstration that continued for over 14 hours on Minchanabad Road.

The injured were taken to Bahawalnagar district headquarters (DHQ) hospital from where they were all discharged by Friday night after receiving first aid, said Dr Muhammad Omer.

The FIR registered on a complaint by Shamim Bibi, wife of deceased Muhammad Hanif, 60, accused Constable Aslam Joiya and Amir Raza, a volunteer with B Division police station, of beating Hanif to death during a raid carried out at a house in Khadim Colony on Friday.

The police said the raid was carried out following a tip off that illegal gambling was underway at the house. Shamim Bibi rejected the charge in her complaint. She said she and Hanif had been living a quiet life in the house by themselves, she added.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 302/34 (murder) and 452 (trespass) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Sections 155 and 156 of the Police Order of 2002.

SHO Shahzeb Khan said they were investigating the matter and would soon send a detailed report on the incident to the district police officer.

He said Hanif’s body had been sent to the DHQ hospital for an autopsy.

The protesters had handed over the body to the police after several rounds of talks. The body had earlier been placed on road near the office of the DPO where they demonstrated for most of the day on Friday. Police had fired rubber bullets on the crowd and baton charged it in a bid to break the protest. The protesters responded by throwing bricks and stones at the police.

Meanwhile, another FIR was lodged at Division B police station against 30 unidentified men on the complaint of Sub Inspector Bashirud Din for assault on police and interference in performance of official duties.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2012.