SWAT, Oct 12: Three men were publicly flogged on Friday after a ‘shura’ set up by Maulana Fazlullah found them guilty of abetting the abduction of two women.

The sentence awarded by the ‘shura’ was carried out in Imam Dehri, the native village of the cleric known here as Maulana Radio, after Friday prayers, amid slogans of “Allah-o-Akbar” raised by hundreds of people gathered there.

Maulana Fazlullah said the sentence would be a lesson to all criminals who should now mend their ways.

A volunteer force organised by the cleric a few days ago for maintaining law and order in the area, had set up a large stage on which the three alleged criminals were flogged.

This was the first sentence announced by the ‘shura’ since its establishment about two weeks ago.

One of the ‘accused’, Bukhtiar, was flogged 30 times, the other, Shamroz Khan, 25 times and the third, Mohammad Sher, 15 times.

Three main accused in the case were also found guilty of committing murder, besides abducting women, and their sentences would be pronounced after Eid.

Witnesses told Dawn that hundreds of people had converged on Imam Dehri, about 15km from Mingora, after hearing that the sentence of flogging would be carried out in public after Friday prayers.

The volunteer force had arrested eight people. Two of them were found innocent, whereas ringleaders Hamesh Gul, Deedan and another person whose name could not be ascertained were declared as main culprits.

The three people flogged on Friday were termed accomplices of the main accused for having provided vehicles used in the crime.

The volunteer force regularly patrols different areas of Matta and Kabal.