MANSEHRA, Nov 16: A case was registered against four policemen, who reportedly shot dead four alleged timber smugglers for their refusal to pay bribe in Tanawal area on Tuesday night.

The policemen had claimed that the deceased were smuggling timbers on three mules and they were killed in exchange of fire.

The incident sparked violent protest in the area and people set two police vehicles on fire and besieged Pulrah police station for more than three hours.

The protesters also fired shots at the police vehicles and police station but none of the policemen was injured. The district police officer was also present in the police station when protesters besieged it.

Late in the night negations were held between DPO Ijaz Ahmad Khan and representatives of the protesters in the presence of MNA Laiq Mohammad Khan. It was decided that policemen involved in the killing would be taken to task and FIR would be lodged against them.

Shahnaz Khan, the circle DSP of Oghi, told journalists on Wednesday that FIR was lodged against the four policemen and inquiry would be held against them.

He said that though three timber smugglers were killed allegedly by firing of policemen but the fourth man was killed by firing of protesters near the police station.

The DSPs of different circles including Rasool Shah, Mohammad Ijaz, Shahnaz Khan and Habibullah Khan held a meeting at Pulrah police station and chalked out a strategy to cope with the law and order situation during the funeral prayers of the victims in different areas of Pulrah.

Heavy contingents of police were called to Pulrah from different areas to thwart any untoward incident.

The family of one of the victims, Mohammad Ishtiaq, has demanded of chief justice to take suo motu notice of incident to dig out truth. “My son was innocent. He never indulged in timber smuggling but police killed him after their money deal with other people was not finalised,” said Najmun Nisa, the mother of Ishtiaq, while talking to journalists.

The incident of firing was happened near the house of Ishtiaq and his mother said that policemen asked her son to bring water for them and when he came back they shot him dead along with other people.

Haider Zaman, father of Ishtiaq, said that police shot dead the victims when they refused to pay them bribe. Everything would be cleared if an impartial inquiry was conducted into the incident, he added.

The people of area said that the killed persons were labourers, however, their horses were used for onward transportation of timber by others.