LAHORE, Jan 1: Hadyara police took six people, including three women, into custody in connection with the murder of Station House Officer (SHO) Muhammad Arshad and continued raids to pick other accused on Sunday. Earlier, police registered a case under sections 302, 353, 186, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 7 Anti-Terrorism Act against 21 nominated people, including eight women, and 50 unidentified people.

Arshad died of head injuries, when some Govind village residents allegedly hit in his head on Saturday. The SHO was at the scene to settle a land dispute between Sardar Arain and Asadullah Khan.

A police investigator told Dawn that six nominated people had been arrested. He said though police had taken into custody several people in Hadyara and Burki, all of them had been had been released after confirmation that they were not present at the crime scene.

He said two police teams were tracking down the runaway suspects with the help of arrested people and three policemen, also attacked by the villagers on Saturday.

He said the post-mortem report of Arshad was not released, however, initial reports suggested the victim suffered deep wounds to his head, and shoulders and chest fractures.

Police handed over the body to the family after autopsy who took it to native village in Nankana.

Muhammad Imtiaz, the victim’s brother, told reporters they had asked the police authorities to hand over the body to them without official funeral prayer so that they could reach their village on time where they had arranged funeral arrangements.

ACCIDENT: Two people were killed in as many road accidents in the city on Sunday.

Shahdara Town police said 65-year-old Mehmood Arjumand, of Ichhra, was killed in a hit-and-run near Islamia Colony.

Mughalpura police said a 32-year-old unidentified man also died in a hit-and-run near the city canal. Police shifted the bodies to Mayo Hospital’s morgue for legal formalities.