FAISALABAD, Sept 2: Police claimed to have arrested the main accused of the Chak 90-RB Chitti dacoity-cum-rape case on Sunday. Suspended station house officer of the Balochni police station also succeeded in getting a pre-arrest bail.

Dawn learnt the police acting on a tip-off held over a dozen residents of Tara Kot and quizzed them about the incident which led to the arrest of the accused.

An officer requesting anonymity said some pictures were seized from the detained people which helped the police arrest the main accused. The remaining culprits were still at large.

He said that pictures had also been shown to the victim family to identify other criminals.

Local residents have taken strong exception to investigation. A couple of days ago, they criticised police officers at an open court in Chak 61-RB, which was addressed by additional inspector general of police Talat Masood on the reported direction of the provincial government.

People complained the police took most of the poor people, including minors, into custody without informing their families. The AIG evaded most of the questions.

In Chak 90-RB, Chitti on Aug 21 night, 13 gangsters barged into the house of Jamat Ali, a retired army man, and held the family hostage at gunpoint.

They looted cash, gold ornaments and other valuables from the house. Later, they tortured the family and allegedly raped three women of the family.

When people visited the Balochni police Station, SHO Shahid Malik told them to come the next day because he had not slept for two nights.

This provoked the people, who blocked Sheikhupura Road for hours.

Following the protest, police registered a case against 250 people but none of them was arrested. The case has not been cancelled despite the instructions of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi visited the area on Aug 26.

Mr Elahi ordered the arrest of SHO Malik for dereliction of duty. He was apprised the next day the accused had been arrested but the situation was otherwise.

Sources said Shahid got pre-arrest bail from the court and police favoured him instead of detaining him on the instructions of the chief minister.

DIG Mohammad Aslam Tareen confirmed the arrest of the accused and claimed police would unveil the detail of the case. He refused to disclose the name of the criminals.