DERA GHAZI KHAN: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Saturday sent 21 suspects allegedly involved in Dajal riots on 14-day judicial remand while granting two-day physical remand of six others on the request of Hanif Gaury Shaheed police.

The police produced 27 suspects before a special ATC judge, six of them recently arrested in connection with the riots that erupted on Aug 8 following murder of Khadim Hussain, a resident of Dajal, by four unidentified gunmen for resisting a bike-snatching attempt.

Brother of the deceased was injured in the incident.

The incident triggered public protest against police as bike snatching incidents had become a routine in the area.

Rajanpur District Police Officer Irfan Ullah, along with a heavy contingent of police, reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters but in vain. The protesters had also set the DPO’s official vehicle and four police vans on fire.

Dajal police registered two separate cases -- one of murder against the four unidentified robbers, while the second case against as man as 1,300 unidentified and 138 identified protesters for besieging police station and torching five government vehicles.

Police could not arrest the killers of Khadim Husain so far.

They, however, arrested 27 suspects, including teenagers under Section 7 of ATA and 148, 149, 395, 440, 436, 342, 342 and 352 of the PPC.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2016