SHEIKHUPURA, July 27: The Nankana and Sheikhupura police claimed to have registered 60 cases against water thieves during the current paddy season. Nankana Sahib DPO Tahir Aalam Khan told Dawn here on Wednesday that the police had so far received only 38 complaints from the irrigation department for the registration of cases against water thieves and all FIRs had been registered in different police stations.

He claimed that no complaint was pending in this regard.

On a question that the irrigation official claimed that they had referred 206 complaints of water theft, the DPO said: “We have received only 38 applications by now.”

The DPO said he had directed all the SDPOs to arrange fortnightly meetings with the subdivisional officer/canal magistrate concerned to review the progress on registration of cases against water thieves.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the Sheikhupura DPO office here on Wednesday claimed that the district police had registered 22 cases against water thieves during the paddy season.

DPO Ibn-i-Husain in his statement said that he had directed all police officers to curb the incidence of water theft in their jurisdiction.