SIALKOT, Sept 19: Hundreds of residents of Shakargarh sector’s bordering Bara Bhai Masroor village took out a procession on Friday to protest police’s failure to recover an abducted girl even after a fortnight.

The protesters, including women and children, had held bottles of kerosene and placards inscribed with slogans against the police. They also raised slogans against the law-enforcers.

Led by the victim’s family, they converted the procession into a meeting in front of the local tehsil municipal administration’s office after marching through the Noorkot Road, Railway Chowk and kutchery.

They alleged that the Shakargarh police were providing refuge to the abductors, who had been threatening the family with dire consequences.

After the incident a fortnight ago, villagers warned that they would commit suicides in front of the offices of the government higher-ups as a protest against the police’s apathy. However, TMO Qasim Amin and tehsil Naib Nazim Rana Shahbaz Ahmad placated the mob and took back kerosene from them.

Shakargarh DSP Muhammad Ashraf Khan informed the protesters that the relevant check post in-charge and other policemen had been suspended for providing shelter to the “influential” abductors. He assured them that the culprits would be arrested soon.

Meanwhile, members of the Shakargarh tehsil council expressed concern over the incident, and demanded recovery of the girl.