January 4, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 3, 1426

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KHAIRPUR, Jan 3: Police on Monday conducted raids on the Kot Pul area of the Kingri taluka and arrested some 40 people. There were reports that notorious bandit Ghazi Jagirani, allegedly involved in the murder of six people, was present along with his gang in the Kot Pul area.

Police searched different hotels and shops and arrested some 40 people.

A large number of villagers in reaction to arrests, blocked Pir-Jo-Goth-Sukkur road at Kot Pul Chowk and raised slogans against police.

When police tried to open the road, villagers pelted stones at police who resorted to tear gas and baton charge at villagers.

One head constable, Abdul Kareem was injured while two police mobiles were damaged.

Later, police released 20 people after interrogation, while 20 people are still in police custody.

Meanwhile, the Ahmedpur police booked some 160 Jagiranis on Monday night on charges of getting released one bandit and two escaped prisoners, damaging two APCs, one police mobile and injuring one head constable.

Ahmedpur police station SHO Akbar Channo said that after getting spy information about presence of a bandit Ghazi Jagirani and two escaped prisoners namely Ghous Bux Jagirani and Hadi Bux alias Hadoo Junejo at a hotel in Kot Pul, police raided the area on Monday evening and arrested three of them after an encounter.

Police claimed that later villagers forcibly got released arrested criminals from police custody.

It was stated that during reaction of villagers, two police mobiles were damaged and one head constable, Abdul Kareem Mari was injured.

Police registered a case against 160 persons, of them about 22 were arrested.

The arrested accused were identified as Nisar Ahmed, Mohammad Usman, Mumtaz, Rab Nawaz, Ameer Bux, Dilbar, Naseem, Luqman, Jurial, Amanullah, Mohammad Ismail, Lashkar, Mast Ali, Ghulam Jafar, Dhani Bux, Peeral, Qurban, Riaz, Mazharuddin, Kareem Din, Lutuf and Nihal.

The villagers continued their protest on the second day and a large number of Jagiranis and other villagers staged a demonstration on Tuesday.

They blocked the Pir-Jo-Goth-Sukkur main road at Kot Pul chowk for about three hours against police raid and arrested 22 villagers and registering a fake case against 160 villagers.

The villagers raised slogans against police excesses and blocked the main road which led to suspension of traffic towards Sukkur, Pir-Jo-Goth and Khairpur.

Police were called but failed to open the road.

Later, police held negotiations with protesters and got road opened for vehicular traffic.

The protesters demanded that cases should be registered against villagers and release of arrested persons.

According to villagers, police accepted their demands.