The accused have been charged with besiege, going on rampage and arson attacks. PHOTO: AFP
The top cop of Rawalpindi claimed on Wednesday to have arrested 12 people including a policeman in connection with the Ashura violence in which 11 people died and several others were injured.
The Ganj Mandi police produced the 12 accused in an Anti-Terrorism Court of Special Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rahman. The accused have been charged with besiege, going on rampage and arson attacks. The court sent the accused to Adiala Jail for identification parade.
At a press conference, City Police Officer (CPO) Akhtar Umar Lalika, who is also acting regional police officer, said over 40 culprits have been identified and the police are working round the clock to arrest them.
“We have also interrogated and released over 120 suspects,” said Lalika, adding that some anti-state elements were spreading misinformation about the number of casualties, the sole aim of which is to create unrest. He said the rest of the accused will be soon be arrested from wherever they are and added that the police have managed to recover two of the weapons snatched from the police by protesters on November 15.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Adeel Shehzad, Nasir Hussain Shah, Muhammad Arham Raza, Tayyab Shakeel, Asad Ali Shah, Sibtain Kazmi, Waqar Hussain, Syed Yasir, Abbas Kazmi, Ishtiaq Hussain and police constable Shamimul Hassan.
Besides, the CPO also produced four kidnappers who had allegedly abducted three-year-old Hasnain for ransom from the jurisdiction of the Naseerabad Police Station. He said the kidnappers were demanding Rs4 million ransom from the family.
A police team led by Assistant Police Officer Captain Bilal traced the kidnappers. He said the police discovered the child’s aunt was behind the abduction and conducted a raid on a house in Peshawar.
He said four kidnappers including two women have been arrested. One of the kidnappers was identified as Musa and was wanted by the police for various crimes.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2013.
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