GUJRAT: Families of suspects, who have been detained in Jhelum for their alleged involvement in torching a chipboard factory and setting ablaze an Ahmedi worship place over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran, have urged the authorities to release those having no link with the case.

A Joint Investigation Team (JIT), comprising officials of various LEAs, has detained some more suspects.

Rawalpindi range SSP Sikandar Hayat has been in Jhelum for the past few days to investigate the suspects.

The close kin of the arrested suspects have blamed that the LEAs have picked up a number of innocent people in connection with the riots. They have called upon the authorities concerned to conduct a fair investigation and release those who are mistakenly detained.

A delegation comprising notables and clerics of Kashmir Colony and Kala Gujaran localities of Jhelum had met DCO Zulfiqar Ahmed Ghuman the other day and apprised him of the situation due to the arrest of, what they termed, the innocent people.

Official sources said LEAs had taken the suspects into custody only after going through some basic evidences such as photographs, video clips of the mob torching the factory and the worship site besides identification by eyewitnesses.

At least 75 people have so far been detained on suspicion of being involved in violent incidents occurred in Jhelum on Nov 20 and 21 when an angry mob torched a factory and a worship place of the Ahmedi community.

Police have already got a 10-day physical remand of some 40 accused who were arrested two days after the incident whereas the rest of the detained suspects are being quizzed by the JIT.

Jhelum Assistant Commissioner Dr Aafaq Wazir, on the directions of the DCO, met families of the arrested suspects, listened to their complaints and assured them of a fair and transparent probe into the matter.

Official sources said the district intelligence committee had constantly been monitoring the probe into the incident and meeting of DIC was held at the DCO office in Jhelum which was also participated in by DPO Mujahid Akbar Khan and other senior officials of LEAs and the administration.

The meeting decided to give a proper hearing to complaints at the Civil Lines police station where LEAs officials listened to the complaints during the past two days and claims of innocence by the families of some suspects were being verified in these days.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2015