MIRPURKHAS, Nov 5: Twelve villagers and another 30-40 unknown people were booked on Monday in connection with an attack on police by “dacoits and villagers” during an operation in Basham Brohi village on Sunday.

A young man and a policeman were killed and several other people were wounded in a clash between villagers and police during the operation carried out to arrest what the police described as some wanted criminals.

An FIR registered on behalf of the state under Sections 302, 324, 353, 216 A, 147, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Dilber Maher police station.

Registering the FIR, SHO Mohammad Sadiq Dars stated that “after receiving information about presence of wanted hardened criminals Ghulam Qadir Marri, Qasim Shar, Niaz Shar, Ramzan Marri and others, heavy police contingents surrounded village Basham Brohi but hidden dacoits opened indiscriminate firing; even villagers also attacked the police personnel with sticks and stones. The police also fired in defence and during the exchange of fire constable Akbar Shah was killed. Three police officers — DSPs Abid Kaimkhani and Sher Khan Rind and Inspector Ameer Azam Shah — and four constables — Saeed, Shakir, Zuhaib Sultan and Sajjan — were wounded in the incident”.

The SHO nominated Usman, Abdul Qadir, Farooq, Saifal, Arif, Pyar Ali, Ghulam Mohammad, Ali Mohammad, Barkat, Abdul Qadeer, Siddique and Rustam — all Brohis by caste — and 30 to 40 unknown attackers as suspects in the FIR. He said none of the nominated suspects could be arrested.

On Sunday, Brohi elders and some residents of the village told the media that Basham Brohi village was surrounded by a large number of police personnel drawn from various police stations at the behest of Asad Junejo, a landowner who is stated to be in a dispute over 222 acres of land that houses the village. They alleged that police carried out raids on many houses and beat up men, women and children, prompting some of the villagers to offer resistance. They said police opened fire killing a 17-year-old man, Dilmurad, and injuring 11 more villagers, including two women. They said some of the villagers used firearms to counter police excesses.

Dilmurad and constable Akber Shah, who were among 11 people rushed to the Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas, had to be taken to the Liaquat University Hospital for their precarious condition. Both they succumbed to their wounds. Later, hundreds of villagers took the body of Dilmurad to a section of Sindhri-Mirpurkhas Road and staged a demonstration demanding a murder case against the police and the landowner.

On Monday, the villagers led by Mohammad Jan Brohi and Abdul Lateef Brohi took the body to the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas Road and staged another protest demonstration disrupting the vehicular traffic on the road for about half an hour. They raised slogans against the Mirpurkhas DIG and Asad Junejo.

Speaking to the media, Mohammad Jan Brohi and Amna Brohi complained that the Dilber Maher police were not registering their FIR and, instead, registered a case on their own implicating the deceased youth’s father, Abdul Qadir Brohi, and other villagers in the case.

After dispersing, the villagers travelled to Hyderabad along with the body of Dilmurad Brohi and held a protest demonstration outside the local press club.

They demanded justice and urged the authorities concerned to take notice of excesses by the police at the behest of the landowner.

Meanwhile, Mirpurkhas SSP Farooque Jamali said the government had announced Rs2 million for the heirs of constable Akbar Shah, promoted him to the post of head constable and pledged a job in the police department for his brother.