HYDERABAD, Nov 19: The district and sessions judge, Hyderabad, Parkash Lal M. Ambwani, here on Tuesday recorded the statements of three witnesses in a judicial inquiry against MPA-elect Arbab Ghulam Rahim and others.

The judge had been directed by the Sindh High Court to conduct an inquiry into allegations of violence, against the Arbab and his men, levelled by some villagers.

The witnesses included Mohammad Ramzan, Mir Mohammad, the SHO of the Diplo police station, and Allah Bachayo.

Ramzan supported the contents of the constitutional petition, filed in the SHC by Mubarak Lund and Ghulam Mustafa Lund, against the Arbab, the police officials and others.

Allah Bachayo, respondent in the constitutional petition, repeated his claim that he knew nothing about violence against the villagers.

The SHO also repeated his earlier statement.

The court called for production of the other witnesses, Latif, Mahar, Suleman, Sahiba, and her husband, Raheem, on Nov 23.

Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the SHC, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Sept 22 had directed the district and sessions judge to conduct an inquiry into the allegations, levelled against the Arbab in an constitutional petition.

The petitioners had alleged that on Aug 16 Allah Bachayo, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Pir Bukhsh Arbab, Soomar and others, with the police officials, had attacked their houses and tortured the inmates.

They alleged that the MPA-elect and Allah Bachayo had an eye on their land and wanted to get it vacated through harassment.

DEMO: The people from Goth Lalu Lashari staged a demonstration outside the local press club on Sunday to protest against the arrest of the alleged killers of a young girl, Shahnaz Jatoi.