February 29, 2008	Friday	Safar 21, 1429

SAHIWAL, Feb 28: Farid Town police have freed three robbers who were caught by people near 96/6-R village on Jan 25 and later handed to a police official, Dawn has learnt.

Iqbal, Farooq and Naveed were allegedly looting people on a road near their village, 96/6-R, when the people of their own village caught them and handed them to the police.

The three alleged robbers had blocked the road and stopped some people to loot them. As they were doing their ‘job’, Brothers Muhammad Khaliq and Masood Ahmed reached the scene on a motorcycle. The robbers also stopped them and looted them. As the robbers were searching their pockets, Khaliq identified Iqbal because he was a resident of his own village, but he kept quiet. On reaching their home, Khaliq and Ahmed called the elders of their village and informed them about the incident. The elders, accompanied by many other people, reached Iqbal’s house and questioned him about the incident. Iqbal confessed to his crime and later he was handed to ASI Nadeem of the Farid Town Police for investigation. Iqbal told the police about his accomplices who were also arrested.

Khaliq’s brother Mahmood Akhter said people repeatedly asked SHO Malik Iqbal to register a case against Iqbal and his accomplices, but he delayed the matter. Later, people learnt that the accused had been freed.

However, the SHO said: “Robbers are with me. As there is no defendant, I cannot register a case against them on my own.”

— Shafiq Butt