SUKKUR, June 22: Six people, including two women and two children, were injured when police opened fire and used teargas shells to disperse a mob who were resisting demolition of their homes, near the Civil Court, Rohri, on Wednesday.

The residents claimed that they had been living there for over 40 years. Police also set ablaze five houses during the operation.

Reports said that a strong force of 100 policemen carrying demolition equipment of the Rohri taluka council assembled in front of the Civil Court, Rohri, to demolish 100 houses, which according to police, were occupied by encroachers. According to them, the land belonged to the civil court.

A group of 200 women and children along with some male members, gathered in front of the court and requested the police not to demolish their houses.

The police officials told them that the land belonged to the Civil Court, Rohri, and the residents were encroachers and that action was necessary for safety of judges.

When the residents refused to disperse, the police lobbed teargas shells and a shell hit a woman.

The police action caused panic among the mob, forcing men and women to take cover.

The mob became uncontrollable when a new-born baby of Ms Soomri died during the stampede. The angry protesters pelted the police with stones and police opened fire injuring a woman, Robina, and two boys Aftab and Ghulam Murtaza.

Police, in the melee, demolished five houses and later set them on fire.

The angry protesters blocked the Sukkur-Rohri road for several hours.

The District Nazim, Sukkur, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah rushed to the scene and calmed down the protesters and also ordered the police to withdraw.

He also ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident, which would commence its proceedings from Thursday.

He told newsmen that no one would be allowed to resort to firing and tear gassing on the unarmed women and children.

Police sources maintained that the demolition action was taken on the orders of a judicial magistrate, Sohail Jatoi.