SUKKUR, April 19: A group of 50 women, carrying the corpse of a 15-year-old boy, on Friday staged a demonstration causing a four-hour-long blockage on the Indus Highway.

The protesting women were demanding registration of an FIR against policemen for killing the boy, Salauddin.

Salahuddin had earlier been killed in firing — villagers claimed by police fire while the police contested their claim — in the Rajan Shar village in Shikarpur district after villagers resisted the police’s attempt to arrest someone, who they said had killed a policeman a week ago.

Later, the protesting women were dispersed by police after resorting to a mild baton charge.

Earlier, a fairly large contingent of police from five police stations had raided simultaneously on two villages, namely Rakhiyal Ji Wandh and Rajan Shar on the pretext of arresting a criminal, allegedly involved in the killing of a police constable, Maula Bakhsh Brohi. The police force was led by the TPOs of Garhi Yaseen and Madehji.

Two other persons were injured in the incident.

Later, the police arrested 17 persons from the village on charges of their being involved in harbouring criminals involved in the murder of the policeman.

When contacted by this correspondent, the DPO, Shikarpur, denied that the boy was killed in police firing and claimed that Salahuddin was killed in the crossfire between villagers and the police.

Rakhiyal Ji Wandh and Ranjan Shar are home to a large number of the Shar tribesmen.

Those, who were arrested by the police, included Khadim, Bashoo, Aivaz, Hashim, Malik Mohammed, Lodho, Kaloo and Baboo.

Later, the mother of the deceased, Sahib Khatoon, told journalists that the police had raided the village along with people of the Brohi clan as the they suspected that the killers of the policeman were hiding in the village.

She said that the police had conducted raids on their villages on the behest of the Brohi clan, claiming that the police had arrested innocent persons and killed an innocent boy.

Demanding of the Sindh chief minister and the provincial IG police to institute an inquiry and order the registration of an FIR against policemen and the Brohi tribesmen, for their alleged involvement in the firing incident.