FAISALABAD: Informing the police about aerial firing and display of fireworks at a wedding cost a girl and her father dearly as locals traced the number of the caller (girl) allegedly with the help of some policemen and a jury (panchayat) summoned her to justify as to why they called the police.

The incident happened at Chak 544-GB in Garh police precincts on Sunday.

The girl had reported the firing and fireworks display which took place at a wedding on June 3 by Noorul Hassan Shah and others.

Responding to the call, police reached the spot, found the involvement of guests in aerial firing and display of fireworks and took into custody more than one dozen people.

Police also seized a pistol and some fireworks from the possession of suspects and registered a case against them on the complaint of sub-inspector Muhammad Shafiq Kharral.

Locals told Dawn that after securing the bail, the suspects started to trace the caller. They said with the help of some Rescue 15 employees, the suspects managed to get the number and then they got its owner’s name through a cellular company which provided them the CNIC number.

Finally they sent the CNIC number on a number given by the government for verification and succeeded to get the name, address and other particulars of the caller.

They said the suspects contacted the family and confirmed that the call was made by a girl of the family.

Villagers said a jury was convened at the outhouse of Noorul Hassan where the girl and her father were also summoned. They said the jury threatened them with dire consequences.

They said the suspects were furious as they felt insulted over the arrest of their guests.

Police have registered a case against 13 members of the Panchayat on the complaint of security constable Khalid Hassan under sections 120-B, 342, 354 and 506 of the PPC.

More than two dozen people were present in the jury, however, only 13 were named in the case and the first information report is silent about the ‘unknown’ participants.

SSP (operations) Mohammed Afzal told this correspondent that the Tandlianwala and Samundari DSPs were probing to ascertain as to how the number of the caller was leaked.

He said the suspects had been arrested and a case registered against the people who convened the panchayat.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2021