SHEIKHUPURA, April 4: Residents of Makki 525 village and activists of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamaat-ud-Daawa on Friday protested against the killing of a youth allegedly by the Farooqabad Saddar police.

The protesters put barricades on the Lahore-Sargodha Road, burnt used tyres and suspended traffic for about seven hours. Hundreds in number, they carried banners and placards bearing anti-police slogans.

Family sources said Irshad Ahmed was going to Makki from Phoolnagar by his motorcycle to see his sisters. Near Upper Gogera Canal bridge, policemen in plainclothes signalled him to stop, but he sped away by taking them as dacoits. The policemen led by the SHO chased him. Later, they were also joined by Saddar Circle ASP Waqar Ahmad.

The chasing police party shot dead Irshad without any justification, they alleged. Mukhtar, brother of the deceased, said that Irshad had in his possession Rs7,000 in cash, a gold ring and a wristwatch which were missing. The father of four minors, he said the deceased ran a cigarette shop at Phoolnagar.

Mukhtar and deceased’s brother-in-law Safdar Basra said they would stage a demonstration before the Chief Minister’s House and the Governor’s House if the murder case was not registered against the accused policemen.

Branding Irshad as dacoit, DPO Mubarik Athar said that was not alone but accompanied by another rider who managed to escaped. He said that SHO Zahoor Ahmed and other policemen were on patrol duty when they spotted two masked motorcyclists. The policemen signalled them to stop, but they ran away towards the Makki village.

The policemen, who were also joined by ASP Waqar Ahmad in the meanwhile, started chasing the dacoits but were fire upon. They escaped unhurt as bullets hit the ASP’s jeep. He said the police also returned the fire, killing one of the dacoits instantly while his accomplice managed to flee in the darkness. Later, the police recovered a 30 bore pistol and five cartridges from the scene, he added.

A case has been registered against the deceased and his absconding accomplice.