Law and order: Six injured in clash at sessions court

FIR registered against 10 men, clash over approval of pre-arrest bail of man accused of issuing death threats.

GUJRANWALA:

Six people were injured in a violent clash between two groups at sessions court premises on Saturday.

The fight followed approval of pre-arrest bail plea of Muhammad Anwar, a resident of Pipliwala. Anwar was accused of issuing death threats to Iftikhar Goraya and warning him against proceeding with a murder case he had filed with Saddar police.

In an FIR registered with Civil Lines police under Section 25 of the Telegraph Act, Goraya had submitted that Anwar was threatening him with dire consequences if he continued with the proceedings of the murder case against Anwar’s 33 relatives. These men are accused of killing 14 men of the Goraya group over a property row. Of the 33, 12 have been arrested and put on trial at an anti-terrorism court, two are held on a judicial remand and 19 have been declared proclaimed offenders.

An FIR was later lodged under Sections 337 (L-2 and A-1) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act against 10 men at Civil Lines police. These included Amir, Saifullah, Sarfaraz, Zulfiqar and Anwar. Police said they had arrested two of the suspects but refused to identify them.

District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Rasheed Qamar directed the Civil Lines police to ensure all 10 suspects were arrested and their challans presented in the court in two weeks. The judge also directed that a report of the incident be sent to the Lahore High Court registrar.

Sessions court security in charge Muhammad Manzoor told The Express Tribune that Civil Lines police were called to the scene to help prevent the clash from escalating. “They outnumbered the security deployed at the court. I was concerned one of them might overwhelm one of the security officials and take his gun,” he said.The security in charge said both sides attacked each other with stones and bricks, injuring six people.

The injured were taken to the Gujranwala district headquarters (DHQ) hospital. Medical Superintendent Zafar Iqbal said five of the injured were discharged after they were given first aid. He said they had only suffered bruises and none of them was in a serious condition.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2012.