Assault allegations: Aspiring groom, 4 others will remain in custody

Police team, villagers clash during raid carried out ‘to arrest proclaimed offenders’.

FAISALABAD:

Five people, including a man who was getting married on Sunday, will remain in Saddar police’s custody until a probe into allegations of assault on policemen during a raid on Saturday night was complete, CPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana says.   

Those arrested were Muhammad Ashraf, Haq Nawaz, Mushtaq, Sardar, Sharif and Shaukat.

The inquiry into allegations of assault on Saddar police officials and some villagers has been launched on orders of Regional Police Officer Aftab Cheema who took notice of violent clashes between the villagers and the police during a demonstration on Samundari Road late Saturday night.

The protesters clashed with Saddar police men and attacked them with batons on trying to break demonstration on Samundari-Faisalabad Road. Several officials including the station house officer, Zafar Iqbal, were injured.

The police were also accused of beating up some media personnel who had arrived at the scene to report the clash.

In the end, SSP (Operations) Sadiq Ali Dogar, arrived at the scene with another police contingent and persuaded the protesters to end the demonstration.

CPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana said action would be taken in the matter in accordance with the law. He said the villagers as well as the policemen found guilty of violating the law would be prosecuted.

The demonstration was organised to protest Ashraf and others arrest from his house in Yasir Town in Chak 296-RB. Earlier, policemen in plain clothes had clashed with residents of the area during the raid.

Ashraf’s family accused the police of beating the guests including women. They said they only retaliated to force the policemen out of the house.

They said they were joined by several neighbours in driving the police away.

SHO Zafar Iqbal told The Express Tribune that the raid was carried out on a tip off that several proclaimed offenders were hiding in the house.

Man, son arrested for killing guard

In another incident, a man and his son were arrested in Chak 494-GB on Sunday following the killing of a private guard during a police encounter at their house.

Mamukanjan police had raided the house to arrest a proclaimed offender, Abid, who they said managed to escape during the shootout.

The deceased identified as Mehdi Khan had been a private security guard with SI Noor Khan Baloch, who was leading the raid.

An FIR has been registered against the two suspects under Sections 302, 324, 353 and 186 of Pakistan Penal Code.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Allah Yar denied that he or his son had opened fire at the police. He said he and his family had locked themselves up in a room in his house to avoid the police. He said that they had come out after the firing stopped and surrendered to the Tandlianwala DSP.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2012.