ISLAMABAD: Residents of a village looted cash from a police team, besides beating them in Phulgran area and also got freed their relative allegedly involved in drug peddling, police said on Wednesday.

Police said a four-member police team was patrolling the area of Sri Chowk where they got information that a grocery store in Athal Village was selling drugs. The police team reached the shop and arrested the shop owner over his alleged involvement in drug selling.

However, the peddler put up resistance and started shouting for help, the police said, adding that shortly over 20 residents of the area, including women, armed with pistols and batons reached the shop and attacked the police team to free the peddler from their custody.

During the attack they allegedly beat the policemen with batons, while some other women pelted police with stone from the rooftop of houses, the police said, adding that those who attacked also snatched wallets from two constables carrying cash Rs39,300, service card, ATM.

ASI Mohammad Faqir and constable Shahzad were injured, they said, adding that the attackers also tore uniform of a police official and later set the peddler free from the police custody and escaped along with the cash.

Over the incident a case was registered at Phulgran police station against the attackers and the peddlers under section 353, 186, 337Hii, 506ii, 427, 382, 148 and 149 in response to a complaint lodged by ASI Mohammad Faqir.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2023