BAHAWALNAGAR: A police team raiding a “gambling den” at Mandi Sadiq Gunj on Sunday was allegedly taken hostage by gamblers and their accomplices and later rescued by another police contingent.

According to police sources, a police team raided the house of one Sheikh Adnan in Mohallah Qasaban, Mandi Sadiq Gang, where a number of people were allegedly busy placing bets on the cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa.

The police apprehended the alleged gamblers and seized mobile phones, laptops and the cash being used for gambling.

However, on the call of the suspects, a large number of their accomplices reached the spot, attacked the police party and freed the gamblers. They also snatched the items police had seized from the place.

The suspects also held four police officials hostage for hours and subjected them to torture.

On receiving the information about the incident, District Police Officer Ammara Athar dispatched a contingent of Elite Force from Minchinabad that rescued the officials who were taken hostage.

The four officials were then shifted to the local Rural Health Centre (RHC) for treatment of their injuries.

The sources said that during the rescue operation, the suspects manged to escape.

The police lodged a case against 37 identified gamblers, including two women and 60 unidentified suspects.

According to police sources, some of the nominated suspects have been arrested.

District police spokesman Shahzad Ashfaq told the media that action would be taken against the criminals involved in torturing police officials during the raid according to the law.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2019