10 July 2004	Saturday	21 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

SAHIWAL, July 9: Relatives of prisoners and under-trials threatened to launch a protest drive against the Central Jail officials for serving the inmates food full of insects.

The inmates have refused to take pulse cooked in the jail kitchen, as according to them, a large number of varied insects can be seen "floating in every bowl." They alleged that they poured the polluted pulse into the sewerage and preferred to consume only loaves of bread.

On Thursday, the DIG Prisons visited the Central Jail to keep himself abreast of the overall jail situation. To save their skin, the jail authorities locked the protesting inmates in the barracks of convicts with words of warning to remain tight-lipped otherwise they would be given severe treatment.

Talking to newsmen here on Thursday, the relatives of inmates demanded of the chief minister to take stock of the situation.

LOOTED: Armed bandits looted cash, ornaments and valuables worth over Rs0.4 million in four different strikes here on Thursday night. Three armed dacoits entered the house of trader Rana Muhammad Ahmed in Nai Abadi, held the inmates hostage and locked them in a room. Later, they collected cash and ornaments valuing Rs170,000 and escaped.

On Jhaal Road, three bandits looted cash and ornaments worth Rs200,000 from the house of one Fazal Muhammad. In Chak 52/GD, the unidentified robbers deprived a motorcyclist, Javed, of Rs35,000 in cash. Shopkeeper Raja was relieved of Rs8,000 in cash by armed robbers. Police have registered separate cases.