LAHORE: Five personnel of the Organised Crime Unit were booked and suspended from service for carrying out an ‘illegal raid’ and injuring some people at a village in Cantonment area.

The incident took place two days back while the action was initiated in the light of an inquiry which held the policemen guilty of the charges.

An official said the unrest had escalated at Village Dial of Batapur when the police personnel of the OCU including Manzoor Awan, Nadeem Qaiser and others ‘carried out raid for the arrest of the drug sellers.’

He said as the locals gathered there and offered resistance, the police personnel reportedly opened fire, which hit one of the villagers Ghulam Murtaza, leading to a scuffle between the two sides.

The official said scores of other villagers also reached the spot and took the police personnel hostage.

Meanwhile, the personnel of the Rangers and the Cantt division police rushed to the Dial village and recovered the policemen after holding negotiations with elders of the area, the official said.

On the other hand, the FIR lodged against the OCU police personnel stated that they injured several villagers when they opened fire and attacked with bricks.

The case was registered on the complaint of Dial village resident Muhammad Shoaib who alleged that the attackers opened indiscriminate fire creating terror in the area.

He said the armed men tried to kidnap his cousin Kashif who had nothing to do with the drug selling.

They later attacked with bricks and injured several local residents, Shoaib said, adding that they also fired shots, leaving one of the villagers injured.

He claimed in the FIR that the attackers fled the scene when the villagers gathered on the spot.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2024