SUKKUR: Members of the Hindu community along with local businessmen took out a rally and held a sit-in on Friday over the arrest of Lalchand Seetlani — president of the Hindu Panchayat Committee (HPC), Jacobabad — and his son, Shiva, a day earlier from outside a court.

Mr Seetlani and his son were accused of keeping and selling smuggled goods. Police carried out a raid on their warehouse by breaking its locks and seized a s63tock of merchandise kept inside before laying hands on them.

The police action sparked an angry protest by members of the Hindu community in the city. Led by HPC office-bearers and leaders of the local business community, including Jacobabad Chamber of Commerce president Mir Ali Ahmed Brohi, the protesters marched through various streets raising slogans against the Jacobabad SSP.

Traders and shopkeepers pulled down the shutters and joined in the rally. They held a sit-in at the main market of the city.

A police team led by the SHO of the City police station tried to persuade the protesters to disperse peacefully but they demanded immediate release of the HPC president and his son, withdrawal of the “false” case against them and removal of the SSP. After a heated argument between the SHO and Mr Brohi, the police team left the market.

After holding the sit-in for several hours, the protesters resumed their rally up to the local press club and apprised the media personnel of what they called excesses by the police.

Mr Brohi, Lalchand’s brother Jumno Mal, Roshan Lal and others also spoke at a press conference in the club.

They said that the police had been harassing businessmen, traders and shopkeepers on different pretexts for the last two months. Amid heightening tension between the two sides, the SHO along with his subordinates raided Seetlanis’ outlet, seized the merchandise and took Mr Lalchand Seetlani and his son Shiva to an undisclosed place, they said. They accused the SHO and his team of having kidnapped them at the behest of the SSP.

They informed the media that the SSP got implicated seven traders and shopkeepers in “false”.

They claimed that the SSP was victimising local traders, especially those belonging to the Hindu community, for criticising bad performance of the Jacobabad police and resorting to excesses against innocent citizens. They urged the chief minister and Larkana DIG to remove the SSP and SHO, and warned that they would intensify their protest if appropriate action was not taken against the officers.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2021