KHANEWAL, May 16: The Sadar police have allegedly released three suspects who fled after seeing police party at a picket and were subsequently caught by villagers from sunflower crops near village 161/10-R, Jangal Mariala, on Tuesday (May 13).

The police claim that they verified the particulars of suspects from their crime database and examined their identity cards and registration books of motorcycle they were riding on and after a through probe, found them innocent. The district police officer (DPO) is, however, unaware of the development.

Muhammad Naeem, the owner of an auto parts shop at Jangal Mariala bus stop, told Dawn that he and his brother Kashif Saleem were present at their shop on Tuesday at about 3pm when they saw three motorcyclists standing nearby a filling station.

Suddenly, he said, the suspects started running after parking their bike at the petrol pump on which he and his bother started chasing them.

He said that they had suspicion that the fleeing suspects were robbers so he called other villagers and also took arms from his residence and continued following them.

In the meantime, he said, they also informed the police party deputed at a picket near the bus stop to check wheat and flour smuggling, but they said they were unarmed and could not chase fleeing criminals. Also, the Sadar police and highway patrolling police were informed about the incident.

He said the villagers spotted the suspects in a sunflower field in the village’s vicinity and later caught them.

However, after some time, both the Sadar police and patrolling police personnel reached there and the suspects were handed over to the Sadar police’s investigation officer, sub-inspector (SI) Saddaruddin.

During initial investigations by villagers, one of the suspects introduced him as Ahtsham Gujjar of Village-20 Gujjarwala of Vehari district.

Naeem said that he contacted SI Saddaruddin in the evening to have an update regarding police interrogation.

“It was very surprising for me when the SI told me that they were not robbers and they have released them,” Naeem told Dawn.

SI Saddaruddin later told Dawn that the suspects were not criminals. He said that the three men were coming from Budhla Sant area of Multan district on their motorbike. He said they were earlier intercepted at a police check post but they did not stop and instead continued travelling up to Jangal Mariala and when they saw a police picket near petrol pump again, they apprehended their arrest and thus they abandoned their motorbike and fled towards the village.

“We checked their identity cards, registration book and other necessary documents besides screening them through our Criminal Record Office. After complete investigation, they were found innocent and we released them after bringing the matter into the notice of area deputy superintendent of police.”

However, the SI could not explain as to why the suspects did not stop at a police picket if they were innocent.