GUJRAT, Sept 22: Kharian police investigation cell had been accused of siding with some influential accused in a murder case. One Basharat Husain of Shah Ghorra village in Sarai Alamgir area told Dawn on Thursday that his political rivals had allegedly murdered his sister-in-law Shabina Kausar and critically injured his minor daughter Zakia on Aug 25.

He said Sarai Alamgir police had registered a murder case against Sarwar, Hanif, Lateef, Sabir, Asghar, Akhtar, Sajjad and Ejaz, arresting one of the accused, while the remaining persons obtained interim bails from a sessions court.

Meanwhile, the case investigation was transferred to Inspector Arif Gondal of Kharian investigation police.

Despite cancellation of the bails of all the accused on Sept 19, Mr Husain alleged that inspector Gondal did not arrest them. Instead, the investigator was providing shelter to the accused, he said, demanding the Punjab chief minister and the range DIG to take punitive action against the inspector and order immediate arrest of ‘culprits’.